Why International Students Pay More than Home Students - Assignment Example

Your full April 6, Why international pay more than home Interviewer: What are some factors that make international students pay more fee than home students? Interviewee: The most important factor that the governments talk about is that the international students are not contributing in the economy of the country. They are not paying taxes in any form because they are not the citizens. They just apply from another country, take admission, and come to live in hostels to seek education. This way, they do not contribute to the financial infrastructure of the country except for paying the fee, nor are they paying any sort of taxes to support the institution. On the other hand, home students pay taxes in all forms. They contribute to the economy and their taxes support the educational institutions, and so, they are given some laxity in fee. Actually they are not given leniency but the international students are charged more fee which gives the impression that the home students are being charged less. This is the main reason why international students are charged more fee. Interviewer: Don’t you think discrimination in fee gives rise to discriminatory behavior toward international students? Interviewee: Yes, I do believe that when international students are charged more, they are being discriminated against home students. Even if the officials discard this aspect, yet it implicitly expresses itself. Discrimination gets expressed in a lot of forms, either intentionally or unintentionally. This discrimination, which is unintentional, roots itself deeply in the lives of international students. When they feel that they have to pay more fee, they feel procedural injustice. They feel that they are not being treated fairly. It is very important for the concerned educational officials to take measures to eliminate this type of discriminatory behavior, to make the students focus on their studies rather than making them feel dejected. These students should be ensured that they are not aliens, and that they are welcome to enjoy the same kinds of rights as home students. Interviewer: What are some of the hazards, other than the discrimination factor, that you think are attached to this dilemma? Interviewee: As I already mentioned, the feeling of discrimination is the biggest problem. There are also many other hazards. For example, international students already suffer from the burden of expenditure in the foreign country. They have to look for residence if they do not opt to live in hostels. They have to arrange for their food and clothing. There are a lot of other expenditures that they have to face. They are already under such big financial pressure. Arranging for fee that is more than what is charged from home students gives them a lot of financial burden. This takes a toll on their concentration on academics as well. When they will, all the time, be thinking about the finances that they have to arrange, they will not be able to concentrate upon their studies. These hazards are too much for an international student who also has to face the problem of adjusting in a new country and to a foreign language. Interviewer: The government has passed many anti-discriminatory laws, rules and regulations in educational institutions and workplaces. Then, why should international students feel so insecure? Interviewee: No doubt there are a lot of laws out there that protect international students and those who belong to other races and nationalities; yet, the discriminatory behavior of local citizens has not ended. There is also reverse discrimination out there. We know that local students belong to the historically dominant group when it comes to education sector, and they have always gained advantage over the black population and other minority ethnic group students. With the implementation of affirmative action policies, local students are very likely to suffer from reverse discrimination, which means that the teachers start preferring international students more than local students to make the former feel at home. This can also have a negative impact upon the confidence level of international students, when they see that the historically dominant group is being disadvantaged. However, this practice of reverse discrimination is very rare, but the chances are still present. Interviewer: Well, I don’t feel that your idea of reverse discrimination is very valid. Interviewee: That’s why I said that this idea is not very common, as it is only an implicit expression of discrimination that cannot be explained in explicit words. Interviewer: So, I see, that you are actually motivating discrimination by convincing to provide the same amount of opportunities to home and international students, when home students pay taxes and international students do not. How do you support this? Interviewee: Well, I totally understand this. But the thing is that the home students do not have to face second grade citizenship. They will always be preferred by their teachers in projects. They will always be preferred in well-paying jobs. They will always be preferred in every walk of life and in every profession. The international students have to face this problem of second preference in any field they choose. They have to face many such things that home students do not have to face. Charging similar fee will only be an expression of acceptance for them from the government’s side. This token of acceptance is necessary to make them feel at ease in a foreign land among strangers. Interviewer: What should be done to compensate international students? Interviewee: I think that international students should be given extra facilities in the foreign country so that they may be compensated for heavier fee amount. For example, they should be given more scholarships. They should be provided tutors for free since they need extra guidance to study in a foreign language. They should be provided free transportation and free residence. They should be given laxity in healthcare service charges. Moreover, when they pass out their universities, they should be given good jobs without having them hunt for job, so that they may feel that they have earned something really good through paying so much of fee. All of these measures are meant to make them feel at home, so that they do not feel discriminated in the foreign country. Interviewer: Does charging more fee from international students have any other psychological impacts upon international students rather than discrimination? Interviewee: Yes, of course. It is a big demotivation for them. For example, how would a student, who is brilliant enough and wants to study in a well reputed university abroad but belongs to a low-income country, arrange for finances and fee of a foreign university? He will get demotivated when he will come to know that he cannot afford the foreign university fee. He will have to remain in his own country, which may not provide him many opportunities to go ahead in his desired field. His country may not even be able to provide him a well-earning job. As a result, his hard work and brilliance of mind, all goes in vain when he will not be able to enjoy any opportunity. Hence, high fee from international students is a great demotivation for them. Interviewer: What is your message to international students? Interviewee: My message for international students is that they should continue to struggle for what is best for them. They should ask their country for scholarships and extra financial support to enable them to study abroad. My message is actually for the governments, that they should support the brilliant students financially so that they may be able to apply in foreign universities without having to go through depressing financial considerations. This is the only way talent may be utilized so that it does not go wasted just because there are no opportunities. Read More