Running Head: POINT OF VIEW

Reasons for International Students Retention Rates Decrease

Mary Lopez
SDAD 5760
Seattle University
June 1, 2015

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2
Abstract

This paper provides my point of view as an international student by explaining what the
three main reasons for the decrease in retention rate of international students are: lack of
opportunities to find an internship or job after graduation, financial support and microagressions.

POINT OF VIEW

Reasons for International Students Retention Rates Decrease

In 2010, 177 million students enrolled in higher-education institutions
worldwide, which is seventy percent more than in 2000. According to the
Chronicle of Higher Education, United States is the first destination for higher
education; however, the number of international students enrolling in US
program dropped between 2000 and 2010 (Marmolejo, 2012) as well as the
retention rate. In addition, in a recent AWISA (Association of Washington
International Students Affairs) conference on May 8th, 2015, it was mentioned
that international students contributed to US economy with $24 billion in
2012-2013 and to the creation of 313,000 jobs (NAFSA, 2014). For every 7
international students enrolled, 3 jobs are created (Lopez, 2015). The main
reasons for the drop in retention rates are lack of opportunities to find an
internship or job after graduation, financial support and microagressions.
A NAFSA research report conducted by World Education Services, a
credential evaluation company , states that institutions reasons for attrition
of international students are academic preparedness or transfer to another
institution, while students reasons for attrition is the lack of tangible and
intangible returns from their investments in education. This gap in perception
results in institutions not helping international students to overcome their
real problem (Redden, 2014). The article International Students Struggle to
turn MBAs into US jobs states that business schools set aside resources to
help these students to overcome the difficulty of getting legal permission to

POINT OF VIEW

work in the US. Most international students want to find a job after
graduation but their opportunity to find a job depends on being able to get
an H-1B visa, which is limited to 65,000 visas per year for the general
population, plus an additional 20,000 for those with US advanced degrees
(Sparks, 2014). Also, after obtaining their bachelor degree, many students

realized they have only two choices: go to a graduate school or go back to

their country because not many employers are willing to sponsor a foreign
worker for a H1-B visa. For instance, an international student received
several job offers but after the employers found out she was an
international student, they repealed their offers. This is a problem that
leaders of the government are aware of but they have not taken
measures to remediate the problem. President Barak Obama, for instance,
said lets at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who
want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country, and he
continued send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their
citizenship. I will sign it right away. (Beltran, 2012). Even though this
comment of support for international students is positive, getting the
American citizenship is not the point. Students can keep their legal status
to work in the US without becoming citizens. Therefore, what international
students need is to be assured an internship or job where they can apply
what they learned, or at least secure and work permit, so their investment
would really worth their effort.

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Secondly, international students lack financial support. According to

Inside Higher Education website, in a national survey, 36% of international
students said that main reason to leave school is because of affordability,
and 34% said it is availability of scholarships. These reasons cause a gap
that takes students to abandon their studies in the US (Redden, 2014). For
example, the University of West Florida retention rate in 2008 was 95
percent and three years later it dropped to 83 percent. A lot has been said
about social justice in higher education; however, leaders in higher education
and the government are more focused on supporting undocumented
students by The Dream Act, a legislative proposal to guarantee conditional
residency or permanent residency after meeting further qualification for
undocumented students. The Chronicle of Higher Education states that more
than 800,000 young undocumented immigrants will benefit from it (Love,
2012). The situation of the dreamers not studying because they do not
have the legal resources is the same as international students who do not
receive financial aid because their type of visa. In order to be fair to
everyone, leaders and Government should start looking for ways to provide
some type of financial support to international students. In general, people
think that all international students are rich or that they have all resources
needed. However, in many cases, students parents in their home countries
have to work more hours just to cover their very basic needs and provide
their children the education opportunities they did not have. Many people in
the US assume that because international students provide US government

POINT OF VIEW

documentation of financial support from their families, they are rich and they
do not need any help. Both, international students and dreamers are
looking for the benefit to have a professional career in the US; however,
international students bring a double benefit with their knowledge and
revenues, but in many cases, they did not get a return on their investment.
Another factor for students that could affect retention is discrimination. In a recent group
project for my class in Multicultural Perspectives Racial Microagressions in International
Student Lives (Lopez et al, 2015), we interviewed ten international students from different
institutions and countries. The countries included were Saudi Arabia, China, Hong Kong,
Angola, India, Colombia and Japan. In the interview, some of the questions were about
perceptions before coming to the US, perceptions after enrollment, discrimination, preferences to
hang out with people from same country or from other cultures, and what assumptions people do
about them. The result of this project was that 6 out of 10 did not know for sure that they had
experienced discrimination. In our interviews, we realized that some patterns of microaggresion
were present without with the target not noticing them. The result was that 9 of 10 were targets
of microagressions. The reason why the students did not realize was that discrimination comes in
different forms and one of them is microagression. Sue, et al, (2007) states that
microaggressions are often unconscious messages delivered in the form of subtle snubs or
dismissive looks, gestures and tones, often dismissed and glossed over as being innocent and
innocuous. However, these messages are harmful to persons of color by depleting the psychic
and spiritual energy of recipients and by creating inequities (p. 272).
There are three forms of microagressions: microassault, which is an explicit racial
derogation; microinsult, which is communication that is rude, insensitive and humiliating and;

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icroinvalidation, which is the negation of targets contributions, opinions or thoughts (p. 274).
We analyzed our data and realized that most of our interviewees have experienced some sort of
microinsult. For example, a student noticed that everyone is nicer with White students but not
with her, or a student realized her classmates prefer to sit with other students but not with her
even when there are seats available next to her. Even though many times the attacker is not
conscious of these attacks, it is necessary to let them know the effect they cause to the target. The
result is the lack of connection between cultures, making international students to struggle to
adapt and not providing a safe and healthy environment to study and develop.
In conclusion, the reasons for which the number of international students enrolling in US
programs is decreasing can be addressed. Most government and higher education leaders are not
paying close attention to the problem or minimize it. This could become a lack of talent crisis
in the future if they do not take actions on the matter. However, some few examples of higher
education institutions have started showing their interest to help international students to stay and
enjoy their academic experience in the US. Rachel Errington, director of the Office of
International Students at the University of West Florida, started a voucher program to cut the cost
of taxi rides, encouraging other offices to offer more on-campus jobs to international students
and also mentoring programs to connect international students with American classmates
(Fischer, 2014). As Karl E. weick states in Small wins: Redefining the Scale of Social Problems,
a small win is a concrete, complete, implemented outcome of moderate importance.
Therefore, several small wins could attract allies, deter opponents and lower resistance to
proposals. (p. 43). Lets start with our small and quick wins!

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References

Beltran, J. (2012). International students cant settle in the U.S. after graduation, so they take
their learning home. Retrieved from http://borderzine.com/
Fischer, K. (2014). Retention Is a Growing Issue as More International Students Come to U.S.
Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/
Lopez, M. (2015). Crisis Paper: UCLA Asians in the Library Video.
Lopez, M., D'ambrosia, J., De Leon, S., Truong, L., & Lee, J. (2015). Racial Micro-Aggressions
in International Students Lives.
Love, J. (2012). Undocumented 'Dreamers' in College Welcome Immigration Shift. Retrieved
from http://chronicle.com/
Marmolejo, F. (2012). Trends in International Mobility of Students: A Wake-Up Call for the
U.S.? Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/
Redden, E. (2014). Why They Stay or Leave. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/
Sparks, J. (2014). International Students Struggle to Turn MBAs Into U.S. Jobs. Retrieved from
http://www.bloomberg.com/
Sue, D., Capodilupo, C., Torino, G., & Bucceri, J. (2007). Racial Microaggressions in Everyday
Life.
Weick, K. (1984). Small Wins: Redefining the Scale of Social Problems. In American
Psychologist (1st ed., Vol. 39, pp. 40-49).
Wilhem, I. (2012). Where the International Students Are, State by State. Retrieved from
http://chronicle.com/