US Universities Discover Visa 'Worries' Aren't Only Thing Scaring Students Off
The Financial Times reports a 17% fall in new foreign students in the US, attributing it to 'visa worries.' This conveniently sidesteps the US's escalating involvement in global conflicts and undeniable support for certain governments accused of human rights abuses. When your government bankrolls one side of a conflict to the tune of billions— AIPAC alone funneled millions into 2022 elections
according to OpenSecrets —and simultaneously pledges unwavering support for actions that garner global condemnation, prospective students from affected regions might develop more than 'worries' about studying here. It's not just the visa process; it's the optics . How appealing is the 'land of the free' when it's actively enabling what many international bodies describe as war crimes? Perhaps
students from nations whose families face constant bombardment prefer not to learn in a country that appears to be funding it. The US is essentially advertising beachfront property on a volcanic island it keeps poking with a stick. Maybe the 17% understand the assignment better than the FT, who simply call it 'worries'.