The US for Success Coalition has been created in an effort to attract more international students, and encourage more American students to study abroad.
In recent years, the US has dropped from a 60% to a 40% share in the “Big Four” study destinations, which includes the US alongside Australia, Canada and the UK.
Of all the leading study destinations, the US is the only one without an official international education strategy. In 2021, the Departments of State and Education announced renewed focus on international education. However, today they are yet to enact any national policy.
A group of prominent international education stakeholders have decided to take matters into their own hands. The US for Success Coalition consists of AIRC, NAFSA, IIE and others, with the aim to ‘work in partnership with the US government’ in order to ‘foster supportive policies and practices that allow the US to compete and co-operate effectively on the global stage.’
The coalition aims to achieve this through seven key goals:
- To establish a ‘strategy for success’ by removing barriers and expanding opportunities for international students.
- ‘Strengthen co-ordination among organisations and institutions.’
- To diversify by bringing in students from different countries and regions of origin, emphasising the ‘Global South, economically underrepresented students, and women.’
- ‘Increase capacity’ for a ‘broad range of US higher education institutions.’
- ‘Ensure policies and practices that help US institutions compete effectively to attract and support international students.’
- Support best practices in colleges and universities.
- ‘Ensure facilitated pathways to employment’ for those who are ‘seeking to launch careers in the US after graduation.’
Dr Fanta Aw, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA, has said:
‘International students are a wellspring of new ideas, energy, and innovation in the US. They are critically important to our society, economy, and national interest. One need only look at the founders of billion-dollar start-up companies or winners of the Nobel Prize in this country to see that. In return, we must commit to their success and value their presence on our campuses and in our communities.’
