U.S. Higher Education Community
Welcome to EducationUSA!
For those new to EducationUSA who are looking to expand international recruitment efforts, please begin your search with our team of 14 REACs (Regional Educational Advising Coordinators) who oversee different countries and provide logistical support and training for the advisers in their regions. These key individuals are great resources for understanding the various issues on the ground in their regions that impact U.S. institutions.
Accredited U.S. colleges and universities as well as higher education membership association staff (e.g. NACAC, AACRAO, NAFSA, IIE, NAGAP, AIEA, CIS, etc.) are eligible to receive login access to the Higher Education section of our site. The benefits of this access include:
- Send Materials to Our Centers – a downloadable spreadsheet of exactly what kinds of information each center can receive, maximum quantities of each item, and specific mailing addresses.
- Learn what are the three main levels of service provided by the different centers in our network.
- Submit Information to Weekly Update – our weekly newsletter goes out to 400+ centers in 170 countries with new academic program & scholarship information for international students.
- Request Our Logo – get a hyperlinked version of our logo for your international admissions website to direct prospective students to our centers for on-the-ground, in-country support for U.S. institutions.
- Access U.S. Higher Education Resource Section – this collection of searchable documents allows representatives to retrieve presentations, conference registration materials, and other resources quickly.
- Print/Save Center and Country Fact Sheets – after logging on when accessing the individual centers’ web pages and the clicking on the countries listed on the REAC (Regional Educational Advising Coordinator) pages, you can print/save a 1-2 page fact sheet for that center and/or country.
Believe in EducationUSA, and we will help you achieve your international education goals.
Special Events for U.S. Institutional Representatives and Higher Education Professional Organizations:
EducationUSA Triennial Africa Conference, October 4-8, 2010 - registration now open
Click the image above to play a slideshow from our inaugural EducationUSA Forum in June.
Partner with 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.
EducationUSA Advisers’ are ready to assist accredited U.S. colleges and universities in recruiting diverse and qualified international students and exploring opportunities to expand internationalization efforts. On the EducationUSA website accredited U.S. institutional representatives can receive a secure login to access specialized information about our network and services available. Discover these opportunities to partner with EducationUSA:
Expand the EducationUSA Reference Collection
Provide Advising Centers with information about your institution. Supply catalogs, promotional or instructional CDs, DVDs and videos to display at centers. Determine the type and quantity of materials each centers requests by click on the Send Materials to Our Centers link.
Direct Prospective Students to EducationUSA Advising
Encourage your prospective international students to contact EducationUSA centers as early as possible to obtain on-the-ground, in-country support throughout the admissions process. Direct students who visit your international admissions site to the closest advising center by including a link to the EducationUSA website. To request a hyperlinked logo and text explanation, click on the Request Our Logo link in the Resources box on this page after you have successfully completed the Request a Login process as a U.S. higher education member.
Explore Regional Recruitment Opportunities
The Regional Educational Advising Coordinators (REACs) foster student mobility between the United States and a specific region of the world, by overseeing and supporting a regional network of EducationUSA Advising Centers.
REACs serve as a resource on the local educational systems within their region; provide assessment, direction, training and quality control for Advisers at EducationUSA Centers; and develop and promote the EducationUSA network. Contact the REACs for guidance on regional student mobility trends, explore recruitment in a new region or country, identify opportunities to connect with Advisers, and participate in overseas conferences. For the complete list of the REACs and the countries they serve visit www.educationusa.info/highered-reacs.php.
Visit EducationUSA Centers
Plan your international travel in cooperation with REACs and EducationUSA Advisers, to ensure a higher profile and maximum exposure for your institution. Contact the EducationUSA center in advance to arrange a meeting, participate in a group advising session, or attend a college fair or other special event at the EducationUSA Advising Center. Advising Centers regularly host public presentations to orient interested students on the admissions process to U.S. colleges and universities. If you cannot include travel in your budget, send information on local alumni who can represent your college or university at special events.
Consider Student Mobility Trends
The Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange is published annually by the Institute of International Education with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The data presented in the Open Doors report are obtained each year through surveys sent to accredited U.S. institutions, who report on the international students enrolled at their colleges and universities. Ensure that accurate and complete data are submitted by your institution to IIE annually and consider student mobility trends from the annual Open Doors report when planning international student recruitment.
Contribute to Advisers’ Professional Development
The U.S. Department of State provides for training of EducationUSA Advisers about U.S. higher education and invites U.S. colleges and universities to participate. Consider participating in opportunities to host EducationUSA Advisers for visits to your college or university campus, in combination with established programs such as the U.S.-based training and international education conferences. Representatives of the U.S. higher education community are also welcome to participate in annual EducationUSA regional advising conferences overseas. Connecting with EducationUSA Advisers during professional development activities promotes information-sharing and communication.
Contribute to EducationUSA Connections e-Journal
The EducationUSA Connections journal is a quarterly, online publication produced for EducationUSA Advisers as a professional development resource and includes information about higher education in the United States, scholarship opportunities, specific fields of study, best practices in advising, and other topics. If you would like to be added to the Connections distribution list, have suggestions for future issues or would like to submit an article, please contact Shannon Bishop, Connections Managing Editor, at sharrison@iie.org.
Make the Case for International Recruitment
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.
Create an International Student-Friendly Campus
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.
In order to host international students on your campus, your institution must be 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). By having such approval your institution agrees to comply with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Government pertaining to the enrollment and tracking of international students under the SEVIS Program.
International student-friendly campuses…:
Have 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.
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.
Facilitate 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, at least part-time, to the admission of non-immigrant 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.
Make certain 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 include:
- 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
Internationalize Your Website
How to Have an Internationally-Friendly Website!
Important links to have for international students:
• If there is no direct link to “international students” on your home page, many students will click the link for “prospective students.” From there, sites should link to:
»» School description with costs and housing information
»» International undergraduate/graduate admissions
»» Proportion of international students at the university and class profiles
»» Quotes and profiles of accepted international students
»» Requirements and documents that apply to international students
• Visas: Up-to-date information with new SEVIS regulations is located at:
»» travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
»» travel.state.gov/
»» travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_1342.html - is the place to download visa application forms
Examples of good internationally-friendly websites:
• State University of New York at Buffalo
Information on degrees and research opportunities are all on one page.
»» http://www.ee.buffalo.edu/admissions/graduate.php
Clearly states admissions requirements, provides institutional/departmental codes for score reporting, lists deadlines, provides guidelines on letters of recommendation (content, focus), gives guidelines on payment of application fee, provides mailing address, and states how to receive a form I-20.
• Northern Arizona University
»» http://international.nau.edu/international_admissions/index.html
NAU incorporates great visuals as well as solid content for students, in addition to a Facebook page feed, virtual & video tours of campus.
• Georgia Institute of Technology
»» www.ece.gatech.edu/academics/graduate/apply.html
This graduate school website (for electrical & computer engineering) walks the applicants through the online application process and outlines the weight that is assigned to each component of the application package.
The following are suggestions from EducationUSA Advisers on how U.S. institutions can make their websites more accessible to prospective international students.
DO provide:
Web link for international students. On your international admissions home page include the link 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.
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 program eligibility List which programs are open to international candidates and which are not, if relevant.
DO NOT:
Require Social Security Numbers. Most international students don’t have them.
Require GPAs. Many countries do not recognize the concept of 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. Provide instructions for submitting a signed copy provided by the home university. Refer students to an EducationUSA center for assistance: educationusa.state.gov
Promote Your Institution
EducationUSA Wants to Hear from You!
Discover how to increase international visibility of your institution through EducationUSA:
Send Us Your Updates
Accredited U.S. higher education institutions can showcase their campuses to over 400 advising centers in 170 countries each week through the EducationUSA Weekly Update. The weekly updates are a compilation of several announcements from U.S. colleges and universities distributed by email to Advisers and posted for students through various EducationUSA social media tools. U.S. higher education institutions can submit Weekly Update content online with announcements about:
- scholarships, assistantships or other financial awards for which international students are eligible
- new or specific academic programs that may be attractive to international students
Share Your Videos
Prospective student audiences employ a wide variety of tools and formats to learn about opportunities for study in the United States. The EducationUSA YouTube channel hosts a collection of instructional videos created by EducationUSA Advisers as well as promotional videos from accredited U.S. colleges and universities looking to reach out to prospective international students. Include your video among the U.S. College & University playlist on the EducationUSA YouTube Channel.
"Like" EducationUSA on Facebook
U.S. colleges and universities can connect to Advisers through the EducationUSA Facebook Page www.facebook.com/EducationUSA. If your institution has a Facebook Page or Group for your prospective or admitted international students or alumni, link it to EducationUSA.
Join EdUSA Connects Web Meetings
Interface with EducationUSA Advisers and prospective international students through EdUSA Connects web-based meetings. Share presentations and multimedia from your desktop to present on a variety of topics on U.S. higher education. Bridge the communication between current and future students through the web-based forum and live discussions about study in the United States.
For more information on how to promote your institution through EducationUSA, contact Marty Bennett , EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator.
Connect at Conferences with EducationUSA
Each year EducationUSA Advisers, Regional Educational Advising Coordinators (REACs), and Department of State officials attend a variety of U.S. and international conferences in order to promote the EducationUSA network and make connections with the higher education community.
Connecting with Participating Advisers
EducationUSA Advisers and staff attend conferences of international education and professional associations. Typically, EducationUSA staff present sessions and host a booth at the exhibit hall.
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
- American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
- Asia Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE)
- Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA)
- College Board Annual Summer Institute for International Admissions
- Council of International Schools Forum (CIS)
- EducationUSA Forum
- EducationUSA Regional Conferences/Workshops overseas
- European Association for International Education (EAIE)
- Forum on Education Abroad
- NAFSA: Association of International Educators (NAFSA)
- National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC)
- National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP)
- Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC)
- Regional NAFSA Conferences
- Washington International Education Conference (WIEC)
EducationUSA welcomes invitations and recommendations for participation in future conferences with all organizations.
Get Involved with EducationUSA
HEI e-News: Accredited institutions can receive regular updates through the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) E-News. Each edition features valuable information about educational advising around the world, international student recruitment opportunities, and announcements about State Department programs and grant opportunities to increase internationalization efforts on your campus. Subscribe online by clicking the Subscribe to HEI E-News link.
EdUSAtips Twitter: With the rise of social media as a primary means of communication worldwide, especially amongst prospective students, EducationUSA offers a Twitter feed @EdUSAtips which you can “follow” to receive quick news story links of interest to international admissions professionals. This feed, targeted at the U.S. higher education community, includes social media trends, updates on videos posted to the EducationUSA YouTube channel, as well as news stories about different programs colleges and universities are conducting to enhance their international profiles.
Marketing EducationUSA Blog: Follow the twists and turns of what is involved in marketing U.S. higher education to international students through EducationUSA. Join the discussion on a variety of social media topic and get expert advice on social media use in international recruitment from the EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator.
EducationUSA News and Events RSS feeds: Subscribe to the EducationUSA news and events feed (at the bottom of this page) to receive timely updates from the EducationUSA website, announcements about events, and articles about international students and recruitment worldwide.
For more information on how to get involved with EducationUSA, contact Marty Bennett , EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator.
Host Our Advisers
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 in a variety of settings on campus. Hosting EducationUSA Advisers on your campus offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase your institution and community for international students and scholars without having to travel outside the United States.
U.S. Based Training (spring or fall)
The U.S. Based Training Program (USBT) provides hands-on professional development in the United States for EducationUSA Advisers with at least one year of experience and builds on training they have received in their country or region. The program for Advisers includes training in Washington, D.C., attendance to a professional conference and visits to groups of campuses around the country. U.S. colleges and universities form clusters to host 4-5 EducationUSA Advisers participating in USBT during the spring or fall.
Explore Program (fall)
The EducationUSA Explore program is designed to acquaint new advisers with the culture and conditions of American campus life while improving their knowledge of international student admissions and services. Entry-level EducationUSA advisers stay at a primary host campus for up to 3 weeks in time for international student orientation and start of the fall term. The adviser will serve an internship in the institution’s office responsible for international students while experiencing student life and sitting in on classes for the first two weeks.
Campus Tours (various times)
EducationUSA Advisers attending annual U.S. conferences typically will visit groups of area campuses within a state or region prior to or following the conference.
Opportunities to host Advisers are announced through the College Board. Please contact usbt@collegeboard.org for more information.
Support Opportunity Students
Provided by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs within the U.S. Department of State, Opportunity funds support underserved students of modest means by covering the up-front costs of applying to accredited colleges and universities in the United States. All students receiving assistance through Opportunity funds must be applying to a degree program.
Funding
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, and limited top-off funds toward tuition.
Opportunity Funds 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 Student Profile
When you admit an Opportunity student, you are accepting a student who has undergone a selective nomination process by 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 bring 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 to cover the costs of housing and tuition/fees.
Opportunity funds are provided through EducationUSA Advising Centers in the following countries:
Asia
- Bangladesh
- Burma
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyz Republic
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- Philippines
- Sri Lanka
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
Europe
- Belarus
- Russia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
Middle East & North Africa
- Algeria
- Bahrain
- Egypt
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Morocco
- Oman
- Syria
- Tunisia
- Yemen
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Ghana
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Nigeria
- South Africa
- Uganda
- Zimbabwe
Latin America
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Venezuela
News
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SEP
01
SEP
Laying a Liberal Arts Foundation, On Shaky Ground
Where there’s volatility, says Susan Gillespie, there’s also opportunity.
Gillespie is vice president of special global initiatives and director of the Institute ...
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Where there’s volatility, says Susan Gillespie, there’s also opportunity.
Gillespie is vice president of special global initiatives and director of the Institute for International Liberal Education at Bard College, in the Hudson River Valley of New York. Whereas other U.S. universities have established overseas branch campuses bankrolled by oil-rich nations -- initiatives inspired in part by promises of profit -- Bard has gone to places where resources are scarce but problems are plentiful. Bard’s signature international initiative has been to establish dual degree programs in countries that are post-Communist, post-conflict or -- as in the case of its partnership with Al-Quds University, a Palestinian institution in East Jerusalem -- at the crossroads of continuing conflict.
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26
AUG
Facebook Overtakes Orkut In India
Facebook has powered past Orkut to become the number-one social networking site in India, according to comScore. The Palo-Alto based company recorded 20.87 million unique ...
Read More
Facebook has powered past Orkut to become the number-one social networking site in India, according to comScore. The Palo-Alto based company recorded 20.87 million unique visitors in July 2010, a massive leap from 7.47 million in July 2009.
Orkut was close behind with 19.87 million unique visitors last month but growth has stalled - this is only a modest increase from the 17.07 million recorded last year. Twitter also saw strong growth off a lower base, rising from 987,000 unique visitors in July 2009 to 3.34 million a year later.
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Events
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EducationUSA Fair 2010
advising@norteamericano.cl
Location: EducationUSA Advising Center in Santiago
Read More
advising@norteamericano.cl
Location: EducationUSA Advising Center in Santiago
Entered By: Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura
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02
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US Fulbright Grantees Orientation
Location: Amsterdam
Time: 1 - 5PM
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Location: Amsterdam
Time: 1 - 5PM
Entered By: Fulbright Center
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02
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Free workshop for Undergraduate studies in the U.S.
Registration: Contact Educational Adviser by phone or e-mail.
Telephone: ...
Location: AMIDEAST/Lebanon. EducationUSA Center
Bazerkan Building, 1st ...
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Registration: Contact Educational Adviser by phone or e-mail.
Telephone: 01- 989901 EXT 161
Adviser: Sarah El Dallal, sdallal@amideast.org
Location: AMIDEAST/Lebanon. EducationUSA Center
Bazerkan Building, 1st Floor
Nijmeh Square
Riad El Solh Street
Beirut 2011-5601
Time: 4:00
Entered By: AMIDEAST
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Resources
- Find an Advising Center
- Collaborate with our Regional Educational Advising Coordinators (REACs)
- Attend a Higher Education Fair
- Attend a Pre-Departure Orientation
- Send Materials to Our Centers
- Create an International Student Friendly Campus
- Internationalize Your Website
- Connect at Conferences with EducationUSA
- Host Our Advisers
- Support Opportunity Students
- Participate in EdUSA Connects
- Subscribe to the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) E-News
- Submit Information to Weekly Update
- Request Our Logo
- Access U.S. Higher Education Resource Section

Connect with EducationUSA



