International students face $960 fee increases

Tuition raised in both spring, fall semesters of 2003

By Eisa Al Nashmi

International and out-of-state students may face a $960 university fee increase due to proposed fee increases by Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Paul Oliaro said proposed increases would raise university fees for all students in attempts to balance the state deficit.

Proposals include:

• a 10 percent increase for all undergraduate students

• a 40 percent increase for all graduate students

• a 20 percent increase for international students, in addition to the higher state university fees

An undergraduate international student taking 15 units a semester pays about $5,440. If proposed increases pass, the total fees will be about $6,400.

Oliaro said tuition fees for international students increased twice during 2003—a 10 percent increase in the spring and a 40 percent increase in the fall.

Nitha Prakash, a nursing student from India, said she understood how increases affect foreign students and decided to do something about it.

“ It’s hard that we are looking at a situation where students end-up going home,” Prakash said.

Prakash said international students usually calculate how much money they need to complete their education in the United States. But problems arise when they come to America and realize that tuition costs increase every once in a while, she said.

“ Education in the U.S. opens doors for international students,” Prakash said. “But because of the fee increases, they are overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness—either go home or transfer to a cheaper university.”

Neil Gibson, president of Associated Students, said international students choose a certain university because they trust it. “It’s not fair to them while they are in the U.S., and all of a sudden they have to come up with more money they don’t have,” he said.

Prakash said money may not be a problem for some students because they may be sponsor students or come from rich families. But for many students, money is the biggest issue.

Malaysian student Mohd Rabani came to Fresno State in fall 2001. He said he chose Fresno State because it was one of the most affordable schools

Rabani pays for half of his tuition and the rest is paid off by a loan from his country. He is currently taking 18 units and has two jobs.

“The proposed increases caught me by surprise—I just have to think of a way to survive and maybe get a third job,” he said.

Rabani said international students are unable to sway people against the decision to increase fees.

“ There is nothing much we can do,” he said. “I wish we can do something to stop this from happening.”

Prakash said it is hard for international students to present concerns to the American public because international students can’t vote, so she and a group of students have been fighting this issue and discussing it with AS and the Education Opportunity Program.

“ AS and EOP can influence students to vote on issues that will matter to them in the long-run,” she said.

Oliaro said it’s unfortunate, yet sound to make international students pay more when the state is in a deficit.

“ It is a serious challenge for international students,” he said. “However, when faced with a state budget crisis, it’s reasonable to give priority to in-state students.”

Gibson said it is important to help international students with their concerns because of what they bring to the university.

“ They bring diversity, new experiences and new cultures to our campus community,” he said. “If we lose international students, we lose our ability to get a full education, because education is all about experiencing new things.”

Gibson said it is also essential to build good relations with foreign students because the world is a global economy, and these students will become future business partners.

Prakash said she and other international students are concerned about their educational futures and are trying their best to create an international voice that can be heard by the Fresno State community and politicians.

Prakash was joined by other students at the Feb. 20 Student Budget Summit to present the international students’ concerns. She is also working on producing video testimonials on how international students feel about the fee increases. The testimonials will be presented to the governor, the CSU board of trustees and legislators.

Prakash said she wants to create a bond between all international students, so she meets with them once a week to talk about their latest concerns and present ideas to improve the situation.

Many international students are faced with financial problems, she said. It is hard for them to get loans because of their inability to establish a credit history and it takes a long time to wire money from other countries. Prakash and a group of students are in the process of writing grants to set up emergency funds.

“The grant will be a cushion for us,” she said. “We will have a system that will help students in need.”