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Institute of
International Education
809 United Nations Plaza
7th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
Tel: +1 (212) 984 5367
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Attracting Students from Latin America & the Caribbean |
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By Nichole Johnson
Working as a Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) for the EducationUSA Network, I have traveled throughout Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, learning about the local educational community, meeting with advisers and high school counselors, students and parents, university administrators and education ministry officials. Over the years, the concerns I have responded to have changed according to current events—from questions about the probability of obtaining the student visa after 9/11 to anxiety about Americans’ attitudes towards Latinos as exposed by the media during the immigrant rights demonstrations since 2006. Nevertheless, our strong economic and historical relationship with the region and the high regard for the U.S. system of higher education has sustained. Even with the increased presence and aggressive recruiting strategies of other higher education destination countries, students and administrators continue to follow their compass north when choosing the right academic program to meet their needs.
Combined with the continued high esteem for the U.S., there are several push factors which lead students to the decision to study outside the comfort of their home. Students recognize that with a degree from the U.S. there are more opportunities for a better life, not only for themselves as individuals, but also for their family and their community. Moreover, for many Latin American students, primarily in the Caribbean, there is very limited access to higher education within their own country. Many local educational institutions do not have the capacity to meet the growing demand for higher education. Additionally, many institutions do not offer the degree program that students are seeking, primarily in science and technology, and there are few universities that offer Ph.D. programs.
The statistics in student mobility show that students from Latin America and the Caribbean are drawn to the U.S. based on geographic proximity. Consequently, many U.S. colleges and universities feel that they cannot compete with institutions in the border states. As one might expect, the top four states in which Latin American migrants reside (California, Florida, New York, and Texas) are also consistently among the top ten states hosting international students from this region. However, students also choose schools based on location of migration networks from their country, which are wide-spread throughout the U.S.
What Inhibits Students From Studying in the U.S.?
U.S. colleges and universities should be prepared to address international students’ concerns about studying in the U.S. Besides the anxiety about the high cost of education abroad, there are other reasons that dissuade Latin American and Caribbean students from pursuing their degrees in the U.S. Some students have obligations to work and support their family. Others fear that pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in another country will hinder them from building future business contacts as they will be separated from their network of friends and future colleagues. Students also recognize that there are many prestigious institutions and excellent academic programs at home. One strategic practice to address all of these issues is to discuss the types of jobs your graduates are finding and your local alumni network activities.
Recruiting in Latin America
Recruiting in Latin America and the Caribbean can be a fun and rewarding experience as you build a network of colleagues in the field and in the region and take advantage of the variety of tools and appropriate mechanisms that fit your recruitment needs.
• Contact EducationUSA! Although it happens less and less, it never ceases to amaze me that not all admissions officers have established communication with the EducationUSA advisers. If EducationUSA does not know you’ll be visiting, than neither will most of the prospective students in that country. And long after your visit, the advisers will be there to guide the students throughout the application process. The advisers may even be able to help you organize your visit by putting you in contact with high school counselors, university administrators, and the ministry of education. To contact the EducationUSA adviser, visit www.educationusa.state.gov/centers.
• Communicate with your alumni. Second to working with EducationUSA, touching base with your alumni is another inexpensive and effective way to recruit prospective students abroad. Students trust and relate well with other students and your alumni are your best billboards overseas. Talk with your alumni office to find out if the country or region you are visiting has an alumni chapter. Contact your alums in advance and invite them to dinner or a reception. Let them know what your plans are and find out how they can help. If there is no alumni association, your visit will be the perfect reason to inaugurate the first alumni meeting.
• Familiarize yourself with the educational system. While most of the countries in this region (except the Caribbean) follow an academic system similar to the U.S., you should become familiar with the differences in each country. The terminology can get tricky. For example, in Costa Rica the undergraduate degree is called a bachiller; graduate study programs include the licenciatura, the first graduate degree, or the maestría, equivalent to a Master’s degree. In Mexico, the bachillerato is equivalent to a high school diploma, the licenciatura is the undergraduate degree, and the maestría is equivalent to a Master’s degree.
• Be prepared for questions about scholarships. Most students equate the high academic quality at U.S. colleges and universities with high tuition rates and living costs. If your institution can provide any type of financial aid or scholarship for any amount, be sure to promote it loudly. Many of the top receiving institutions of Latin American students offer out-of-state tuition waivers or tuition discounts, such as in Texas, Arizona, and Florida. If your institution cannot provide a tuition discount or a scholarship program earmarked for Latin American students, at the very least, provide a list of internal and external scholarship programs. IIE provides a comprehensive list of scholarship programs at www.fundingusstudy.org, which allows you to add your scholarship programs listing for no charge. You can also promote your financial aid programs to the global EducationUSA network by sending a brief description to educationusa@state.gov.
• Travel with a tour group. There are several tours organized throughout Latin America by private companies such as Linden Educational Services and The MBA Tour, membership associations such as Council of International Schools, and by EducationUSA Advisers. Participating in a college fair will help you to get a better understanding of the countries throughout the region. Let someone else do the organizational work for you on your first visit. For a comprehensive list of college fairs, visit www.educationusa.state.gov/fairs.
• No hablo español. Nervous about the language barrier? Learn a couple phrases in the local language. While it is not absolutely necessary to speak Spanish or Portuguese to travel comfortably in this region (English is widely spoken, particularly in major urban centers), it is helpful to learn a few phrases in your prospective students’ native language to demonstrate your interest in the students’ culture and to help them warm up to you.
• Travel on your own or in a small group. Once you’ve participated in the college fairs and determined the countries to which you would like to return, you’re ready to travel on your own. Consider visiting schools in other cities beyond the capital, particularly in the larger countries. By now, you should have a friend at the EducationUSA center in that country who will be thrilled that you’re coming for another visit. Ask the adviser about the best time to visit and notify them a couple months in advance of your trip. Find out what the adviser can do to help make your trip a success. Keep in mind that some EducationUSA centers charge a very minimal fee (e.g., $100 to $300 US) to make all the detailed arrangements for your visit, including meetings with high school counselors and promotion in local media.
• Determine your institution’s current activity. Over the past decade, many institutions have found innovative ways to collaborate with foreign universities through consortia. Find out if your students and faculty are already active in the region through established academic exchange programs or collaborative research. If so, plan to visit these universities and be prepared to talk about your institution’s interest in developing international programs.
• Think beyond recruiting students. U.S. college and university administrators should be sensitive to the fact that institutions of higher education throughout Latin America are emulating their U.S. counterparts in an effort to expand the international and academic programs they provide their students. Many institutions have developed direct institutional ties or participate in educational consortia so as to increase their international programming. These activities are increasingly directed at faculty development and technical and vocational training, two growing demands in the region. As ministries of education, particularly in the Caribbean, are looking to increase capacity for higher education, many institutions are developing dual or joint degree programs with foreign universities. If possible, meet with the local ministry of education to determine their priority development areas and discuss the ways in which your institution can help them meet their needs.
• Get Involved. There are a few international education associations throughout the region that welcome U.S. institutions of higher education to participate in promotion of academic exchange and international education development. The most well-known and active associations in Mexico are the Mexican Association for International Education (www.ampei.mx) and the Consortium of North American Higher Education Collaboration (www.conahec.org); and in Brazil, the Forum of Brazilian University Offices for International Relations (www.faubai.org.br).
• Become acquainted with U.S. government and privately sponsored programs. The volume of U.S. government sponsored programs is growing rapidly throughout Latin America. The Fulbright Commissions throughout Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay) are aggressively expanding their programs to provide additional scholarships for qualified students from their countries. In many of the non-Commission countries for which Fulbright is administered through the U.S. Embassy, the State Department has been actively reaching out to underserved populations and non-traditional audiences for educational and cultural programming. For example, the Opportunity Initiative program provides promising students from several countries in Latin America (and around the world) with limited resources to apply to U.S. colleges and universities. USAID provides scholarships to students to study at community colleges through the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships (CASS) Program and grants to U.S. institutions to develop joint research and educational exchange through the Training, Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships (TIES) Program. Contact the Cultural Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy to find out which programs they are actively working with.
Only with an understanding of the factors which influence students’ decisions about studying in the U.S. can colleges and universities begin to develop a comprehensive plan for successful recruitment. Recruiting in any region of the world requires a certain level of familiarity with the corresponding educational systems and student populations. With some preliminary research, you can set your institution’s recruitment strategies on the right path.
Nichole Johnson is the Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
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