What is EducationUSA?

EducationUSA is the official name for U.S. Department of State-affiliated educational advising centers overseas. Each year EducationUSA centers receive millions of contacts from students all over the world. Centers are staffed by professional advisers, many of whom have studied in the U.S. Advisers provide comprehensive, objective information on all accredited U.S. higher educational institutions. Advisers are not agents or recruiters and are not permitted to receive commissions from colleges, universities or agents.  We ask you to review the State Department's Policy Guidance for EducationUSA Advising Centers regarding Commercial Agents.

What services are offered in EducationUSA centers?

Advisers provide students (and their families) accurate, impartial information about the full range of accredited higher education institutions in the U.S., including two and four year colleges, universities and specialty schools. Advisers help students:
• Select appropriate institutions for their academic and personal goals
• Research and prepare for standardized testing requirements
• Understand the U.S. application & admissions process
• Identify financial aid opportunities
• Apply for a student visa
• Prepare for departure to the U.S.

Where are EducationUSA Advising Centers located?

EducationUSA advising centers operate within a wide variety of institutions, including:
• U.S. Embassies and Consulates
• Libraries
• Fulbright Commissions
• Bi-national centers
• Universities
• Private foundations
• U.S. non-governmental organizations with overseas operations

Who and what are Regional Educational Advising Coordinators (REACs)?

The REAC fosters student mobility between the United States and a specifc region of the world, by overseeing and supporting a regional network of advising centers. REACs act as a resource on educational systems and exchanges; provide assessment, direction, training and quality control of EducationUSA advising centers; and develop and promote the EducationUSA network.

How does EducationUSA help U.S. colleges and universities?

EducationUSA Advisers & REACs assist U.S. admissions offices and international student advisers by:
• Providing information about U.S. schools to prospective international students
• Assisting with in-country recruitment both electronically and on the ground
• Discussing student mobility trends in the region or a country
• Explaining local educational systems, academic credentials, and grading scales

How can my institution partner with EducationUSA?

• Share information about your accredited institution by sending your catalogs, CDs and DVDs, videos, and international student financial aid/scholarship information to EducationUSA centers.
• Encourage your prospective students to contact EducationUSA centers as early as possible to provide on-theground, in-country support throughout the admissions process.
• If you plan overseas travel, contact the EducationUSA center in advance to arrange a meeting, join a group advising orientation or participate in a college fair or other special event at the advising center.
• If you cannot include travel in your budget, send information on local alumni who can represent your college or university at special events. Also connect with EducationUSA centers via video conferencing.
• EducationUSA Advisers can help your prospective students identify sources of financial aid, prepare for the visa interview, and assist in academic and cultural pre-departure preparation.

A quick glance at the C.V.s of world leaders today and in the recent past, you will find a significant number of them have studied at some point in the United States.  Nothing does more for the public diplomacy efforts of the U.S. Government than to have future world leaders who have positive experiences studying on American college and university campuses.  We invite you to utilize the Foreign Students Yesterday, World Leaders Today document to help build your case for international recruitment at your institutions.

In understanding what international students bring to U.S. colleges and universities, the economic benefit of enrolling over 670,000 students and for many graduate students, their families as well, cannot be underestimated.  As part of research conducted by NAFSA, The Economic Benefits of International Education to the United States of America: A Statistical Analysis provides a very useful tool to convince those who might questions the value of international education efforts.

How to Have An International Student-Friendly Campus!

An international student-friendly campus is one that recognizes that in an increasingly interdependent world there is educational value in having international students on the campus. The institution has made a commitment to diversity among the student body and understands that international students represent a key element in that commitment to diversity.

An international student-friendly campus has been approved by the Department of Homeland Security to enroll international students and issue student and/or exchange visitor visa-qualifying documents (I-20/DS-2019). It complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Government pertaining to the enrollment and tracking of international students under the SEVIS Program.

An international student-friendly campus is one that has a special section on its website for students from other nations. This section offers guidance and assistance to those who may be unfamiliar with the complexity of U.S. higher education and the international student admissions process. It offers the information in a format easily understood by those new to the U.S. system. To ensure that prospective international students receive appropriate assistance with this complex undertaking, the section also refers the students to the nearest EducationUSA advising center or to the EducationUSA website.

An international student-friendly campus does all it can to ensure that the leadership of the institution and the professional staff who deal with international students are aware of and actively engaged in the many legal, regulatory, educational, and cultural issues that concern international educational exchange. To achieve this objective, the institution maintains membership in appropriate international educational exchange associations or organizations.

An international student-friendly campus is one that facilitates the presence of international students on its campus within all appropriate legal and ethical guidelines governing the admission of international students. It employs professional staff in the admissions office dedicated, at least part-time, to the admission of nonimmigrant students from other nations. The institution does all it can to ensure that each application for admission from a prospective international student is treated with the special care and expertise it merits and requires.

An international student-friendly campus is one that does all it can to ensure that the international students who enroll are provided with various forms of specialized assistance designed to ensure success in their studies and their stay in the U.S. Toward that end, the institution employs professional staff whose primary goal is the successful academic, linguistic, psychological, and cultural adjustment of each international student who enrolls on the campus.

Recommended Activities/Programs of an International Student-Friendly Campus

• Offer a separate orientation for new international students to ensure that initial adjustment needs are met
• Explore with your Food Services outlets on campus the options for kosher/halal meals
• Ensure that there are housing options for new international students
• Make a special effort to integrate international students into the mainstream of student life on campus and into the local community
• Provide options for additional English instruction for non-native speakers if needed
• Provide housing options for international students during vacation periods
• Provide access to a local host family program to serve the needs of international students enrolled

How to Have an Internationally-Friendly Website!

The following are suggestions from EducationUSA advisers on how U.S. institutions can make their websites more accessible to prospective international students.

• DO Provide:      
    
  A link for international students. On your home (or international admissions) page include the link http://educationusa.state.gov and refer applicants to the EducationUSA center in their country.
• Regional accrediting association details. Accreditation is a key element in the selection process.
• Tuition and cost information. List the total amount that will appear on I-20 or DS-2019 forms as well as individual programs costs.
• Months & specific dates. List important dates for completion of required testing, application deadlines, notification, orientation and enrollment.
• Contact information. List names and numbers for all offices dealing with international students.
• Deadlines. Prominently list deadlines with clear mailing instructions.
• FAQs. List commonly asked questions and answers about your institution/foreign student admissions and services.
• Provide instructions for submitting a signed copy provided by the home university. Refer students to an EducationUSA center for assistance.
• Checklist. List required documents and tests.
• Local information. Include campus size in hectares, average local temperatures in Celsius, distances in kilometers, etc.
• Number of credit/hours. Specify how many hours are needed to be enrolled full-time.
• Course catalog. List all courses with course descriptions.
• Downloadable application. Provide in a variety of formats.
• Application fee waivers or allow students without credit cards to mail application fee after completing on-line applications.
• Information on programs. List which programs are open to  international candidates and which are not.

DON'T:

• Require Social Security Numbers. Most international students don’t have them.
• Require GPAs. Many countries do not offer GPAs.
• Require zip codes or a U.S. address.
• Use terms “Fall” and “Spring”. These are confusing to students from the southern hemisphere or areas with no seasons.
• Give 800 numbers. They are not toll free outside the U.S. Also, automated responses are often not received overseas.
• Use “college” to refer to university-level programs.
• Require original copies of academic certificates. Many international students cannot obtain multiple originals of their academic certificates. Define what you mean by certified, and
  provide a PDF example.

These are just some of the helpful tips on internationalizing your website.  For a complete file, please download the handout, Internationalize Your Website.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Institute of International Education (IIE) produces an annual report on international educational exchange.  The highlights of these numbers are released at the start of International Education Week each November. This study compiles critical data from US institutions (from the past academic year) that enroll students from overseas as well as students in the U.S. who study abroad.  This comprehensive research tool is essential reading for institutions, particularly those who have been tasked with campus internationalization efforts.  We invite you to visit IIE's Open Doors site for more details. 

Over the next few months our EducationUSA representatives will be attending various conferences in the U.S. and around the world.  We invite you to connect with us at these various events.

• Washington International Education Conference, January 25 & 26, 2010, Washington DC
• Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) 2010 Conference, February 14 -17, 2010, Washington, DC and Pre-Conference Workshop: Internationalization of Higher Education in the Middle East: Sunday, February 14, 2010
• Europe/Eurasia EducationUSA Triennial Advisers Workshop, March 21-25, 2010, Prague, Czech Republic
• Forum on Education Abroad, Charlotte, NC, March 24-26, 2010
• American Association of Community Colleges Convention, April 17 – 20, 2010, Seattle, WA
• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) 2010 Annual Meeting April 21-24, 2010, New Orleans, LA
• National Association of Graduate Admissions Professional (NAGAP) Conference, April 21-24, 2010, San Francisco, CA
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators Annual Conference, May 31 - June 4, 2010, Kansas City, MO -- If you would like to join our Education USA Pavilion at the 2010 NAFSA Conference, contact Marty Bennett (EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator) for more details on how your institution can participate.
• College Board Annual Summer Institute for International Admissions, Georgetown University, June 2010, Washington, DC
• Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC) Summer Conference, July 15-17, 2010, Boston, MA
• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) National Conference, July 18-21, 2010, Denver, CO

In addition to these social media resources, we encourage you to connect with your prospective students overseas using these tools and more. 

• Does your institution have a .Edu channel or videos on YouTube?  Link to those from your international admissions site.  Ultimately, international students like any others, want to be able to picture themselves on your campus.  The more your institution give them a visual feel for what life would be like at your college or university, the better equipped these students might be to choose you.
• Do any of your current students (including internationals) blog about their experiences on your campus?  Send us the url for your student bloggers to educationusa@state.gov.
• Do you have a Facebook Fan Page or Group for your prospective and/or admitted international students?  If so, link to it from (or have a Facebook Fan Box put on) your international admissions website.   

Host EducationUSA Advisers on Your Campus!

The following opportunities are available to accredited U.S. higher education institutions and specialized schools to interact with EducationUSA advisers: Pending grant award to the College Board.

Campus host options

• USBT: host 4-5 participants for one week during the Spring and Fall 2010 U.S. Based Training Program for EducationUSA Advisers (USBT) – in mid-April or in October/November (TBD). Multiple clusters of varied institutional types/missions (up to 5 institutions per cluster - must include graduate level); advisers represent different world regions and types of advising centers (U.S. Embassies, Fulbright Commissions, Bi-national Centers, NGOs, universities, ministries, etc.). USBT: Airfare, housing and meals [per diem] for the advisers are included, along with modest reimbursement for cluster administrative expenses
• Post-NAFSA campus tours: 3-6 days visiting multiple campuses after the May 2010 NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference in Kansas City, MO Post-NAFSA tours should budget to include local sources for housing, meals and in-state travel; international travel to U.S. destination covered for advisers from grant funds.
  • The EducationUSA Explore program brings one adviser to a hosting campus for a 3-week internship at the start of the school year (August/September). Explore internship provides airfare + insurance for adviser; per diem support may be available.

Reconnect travel to visit EducationUSA centers

• Reconnect: an individual campus host visits 1-2 EducationUSA centers for 7-10 days. Past USBT cluster coordinators & Explore hosts are given preference. Reconnect provides travel stipend of $6000.

Delegation travel to underrepresented countries

• Reconnect-Plus: a delegation of U.S. admissions representatives/faculty visits one country for 7-10 days to conduct workshops for local students, families and schools/universities. 4 trips planned, starting with Indonesia (December 2009). Reconnect-Plus funds international air + in-country costs.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), under authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended.

Full information and a campus Request for Proposal (RFP) is posted here and at www.collegeboard.com/international. Please note there is a deadline of December 18, 2009, to apply for 2010 hosting opportunities. Please specify your program interest by e-mail to: usbt@collegeboard.org

What Are Opportunity Funds?

Opportunity Funds support underrepresented students of modest means by covering the up-front costs of applying to university in the United States.  Such costs may include: test preparation and fees; visa and application fees; transportation costs; books and settling in allowance, English language courses, and when appropriate, top-off funds toward tuition.  Opportunity support can be used for both graduate and undergraduate education at accredited, degree-granting institutions in the United States.  The total amount of support per recipient may not exceed US$10,000.  Opportunity support has been provided since 2006 and currently is offered in 23 countries worldwide.  This number is being increased in summer 2009 to include five more Central American countries.

Why Should We Get Involved?

When you admit an Opportunity student, you are admitting someone who has been selected through a selective nomination process that includes input from the EducationUSA adviser, Regional Educational Advising Coordinator, and the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy.  Opportunity students are selected based on their strong academic background and great potential for succeeding at a U.S. institution of higher learning.  Beyond academic ability, Opportunity students come from modest backgrounds and are often from underrepresented groups within their own country – bringing both cultural and socio-economic diversity to your campus.  When U.S. institutions admit Opportunity recipients, it is expected that the college/university will provide full financial aid to the student.  Most, if not all, Opportunity recipients will not have enough estimated family contribution (EFC) to cover the costs of housing and tuition/fees. 

Where Are Opportunity Eligible Students?

Opportunity Funds are provided in the following countries: Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.  Beginning fall 2009, students from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama will also be eligible to apply through their local EducationUSA advising office.

• Recruit international students through over 400 official advising centers in 170 countries
• Reach over 14 million students each year who want to study in the US
• Qualify your prospective students with referrals to on-the-ground support in advising centers
• Enhance your knowledge of education systems & credentials through the local expert advisers
• Promote your scholarships and new programs to advisers and students globally through Weekly Update
• Keep current on opportunities to be involved with EducationUSA in the HEI e-newsletter & other social media
• Network with institutions abroad to develop partnerships
• Connect with EducationUSA through Regional Advising Conferences & Workshops
• Prepare your admitted students for the student visa process at EducationUSA centers
• Host EducationUSA advisers on your campus to have them experience your institution