Why do international students always pay higher tuition? Is it a discrimination?

Question

International students, who come from other countries, study in the U.S. The tuition is so expensive. The tuition between international student and citizenship is so different. It's like 5 times citizenship's tuition.

Answer 1

I've never heard of a school charging more for international students. They DO charge more for everyone who is not a resident of the state the school is in (called nonresident tuition), but this applies to US citizens just as it does international students.

Answer 2

Have you ever noticed that out-of-state tuition is also higher? It's a matter of tax support. If you live within a particular state and attend a state university there, the assumption is that your (or your family's) state taxes already support the institution, so your tuition rate is lower. When you cross state lines, you attend a school not supported by your state taxes. Many, if not most schools also receive federal funding in some form. International students, not having contributed to the institution through either form of taxation, can expect to pay the full cost burden for their education. It's not discrimination; it's simple math!

Answer 3

Any college tuition is about a third of the actual price last I was told. The rest comes from other sources. Your paying higher tuition because those other sources don't include international students.

No, it's not discrimination. You can't expect a city or county to pay for another countries education, you have to pick up the tab.

Answer 4

Let look at this another way.

It costs money to build and maintain a world class university. If the University is a public one, it was borne through the sweat of the taxpayers in a given state. What a local student pays for tuition is heavily taxpayer subsidized. What an out of state student pays is also tax payer subsidized, but not as much. The Int'l student's tuition is also taxpayer subsidized, but not to the degree as the local (in state) or out of state student.

Is it discrimination against int'l students? Ask yourself; where your parents paying taxes in the state for this college? Simply, no - then why should you benefit? I think that Int'l students should have to pay 100% of what is costs to actually educate them.

Look at private universities such as Harvard, Stanford, SCU, and others. Compare the tuition of these institutions to that of San Jose State or UC Berkeley. You will see that everyone is getting pretty much a great deal for their educational buck at the state colleges and UC system.

Answer 5

No, this is not discriminatory - it is the same in all countries. You are taking up a seat that a citizen of that country could have taken, so you pay more for the privilege. Most colleges and universities keep a certain number of seats specially for international students as their higher tuition is what helps keep down the tuition for citizens.

Answer 6

Because most colleges & universities get at least some funding from state & federal government. That money is not to be used for non citizens. Same thing if say, a kid from Minnesota wants to go to the University of Iowa; their tuition will be much higher than that of a student from Iowa.

Answer 7

Your question is a prime example of the emotional component of the raging immigration debates - someone sees a disparity (for example, higher tuition for international students) and then concludes that discrimination might be responsible. As so many members have pointed out, there are legitimate, underlying reasons behind the process.

Answer 8

I live in Colombia, but most of my family has studied in the US, we, as international students have to pay more tuition in public universities because we have not paid taxes our entire life.. People born in the US have paid taxes their entire life, and why should we, living in a different country and not helping the US economy, get the same rights as citizens from the US do?

Answer 9

As an International Student Coordinator I hear the same question constantly. The reason for it is education is tax payer subsidized. Every college is given money from the state and local governments. This money is tax payer money. Why should foreign students get the same education without paying any taxes? Basic economics really.

Answer 10

If your an illegal alien in California, Grey Davis lowered your tuition so that those of us who live here legally are discriminated against.