Facing the Problem of Aid to International Students

by James D. Kratz

How much and to whom? These are among the questions missionaries ask when they think about sending national leaders to the U.S. for training. This helpful article analyzes the pertinent data in making these decisions.

How much and to whom? These are among the questions missionaries ask when they think about sending national leaders to the U.S. for training. This helpful article analyzes the pertinent data in making these decisions.

Historically, one of the most important contributions that mission and service agencies have made around the world has been to the building up of the social infrastructure – especially through medical, educational and agricultural services. A corollary contribution has been the training and preparation of indigenous people to assume full responsibility for the management and staffing of these vital services.

The clamor among young people from Asia, Africa and Latin America for the opportunity to receive training in Europe and North America has been strong during the past generation and will remain so for the foreseeable future. It is important that we understand the positive values of this approach to training, along with the less desirable features. The educational situation in most countries has undergone rapid change in the past two decades. The justification for going abroad to get advanced training must be given a new rationale.

It is the purpose of this statement of policy guidelines to delineate basic concerns surrounding this question and provide a basis for positive and constructive response. It is important that those who provide liaison between the prospective student overseas and an educational institution in North America keep a broad and clear perspective by understanding the educational situation internationally and acting in a consistent and equitable manner.

THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT STORY
Since World War II there has been an increased emphasis on international education. This has resulted in an increasing number of students coming from other countries of the world to study in North America. (Approximately 179,000 students from foreign countries were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities during the 1975-76 academic year. The single largest group came from Iran, 19, 630, followed by Hong Kong, Nigeria and Taiwan.

Asia was the continent most represented. – Ed.)

Institutions of higher education in North America have been interested in having international students in their college or university community. The international students are seen as bringing a certain resource to the campus which enhances the academic program. In advertising their programs, many colleges point to the number of international students on campus as one of the positive aspects of their program.

The strongest motivation, however, in the foreign student program has been the emphasis on preparing students from developing nations in certain professional and technical skills and fields, in order that they may return to their home country to assist in meeting the rising expectations of their people. Higher education in the North

American setting has been seen as a resource for preparing persons to strengthen leadership in developing nations.

PROBLEMS HAVE DEVELOPED
There is, however, a growing apprehension about the value and effectiveness of a North American education for persons from other areas of the world, since certain problems have developed.

1. Nonreturn. One basic problem is the nonreturn of the international students to their own countries. Studies have been made which identify some of the important factors:

• Student nonreturn is most frequent among young undergraduates who are self-sponsored and among immigrant visa-holders.

• Marriage is a factor in some cases of nonreturn.

• Nonreturning students are sometimes marginal type persons in their own community or culture.

• International students who come from the lower end of the social scale in their home community are more tempted to remain in North America.

• Kinship and family ties are sometimes a strong force in helping students find their way back to their home country.

• Those who have job guarantees in their home country tend to return home.

• The experience of Rockefeller Foundation indicates that selection is an important factor in determining whether or not students will return to their home country. For a given period, the Rockefeller Foundation reported that better than 95 percent of foreign students given grants by them returned home. The foundation’s own interpretation was due to an effective selection process.

• The nonreturn of students to their home country is much higher in certain parts of the world than in others. In some parts of Asia (Japan is an exception) no more than five to seven percent of foreign students return to their home country after study abroad. In general, nonreturn has been much less of a problem in Africa than in Asia. In fact, in some parts of Africa, a very high percentage of students have returned to their homeland to make good adjustments and significant contributions.

2. Brain Drain. A related and yet separate problem is the “brain drain” factor. This includes more than student migration. There is a continuing flow of trained professionals to North America from other parts of the world. An article in the November 8, 1971, Christian Science Monitor, entitled, “The Brain Drain, Robbing the Poor, Aiding the Rich?” focuses on the problem. In 1970 the total number of “professional, technical, and kindred workers” immigrating to the United States was 44,328. The number of professionals coming from the Philippines alone totaled 9,262, while the number from all of Europe was only 10,294.

A country that has 2,000 physicists and loses two, is little affected by the loss, but a country with four physicists that loses two, has a net loss of 50 percent. One report indicated that Turkey emphasized the training of medical doctors over a period of several decades. After 30 years of effort there were more than 3,000 Turkish doctors practicing in Germany, France, and the United States. This would indicate that a country’s aggressive efforts to improve or increase its resources in a certain professional area, may only add to the brain drain problem. Developing nations are concerned about the talent migration, and are attempting to deal with the problem.

The question of the student return or nonreturn is very much related to the brain drain problem. International students may in fact return to their home country, and still eventually as professionals become a part of the brain drain category.

3. Reentry. One of the concerns of the educational institutions is the degree of adjustment and accommodation on the part of the international students to the academic and social community of the college. The leadership of the country from which the student came, and those responsible for the student’s return to his homeland, are even more concerned about the degree of readjustment to his own community and society on return.

The degree of acculturation success during the study period abroad may quite adversely affect the readjustment in the home culture on return. In some cases students who return home do not adjust. They become misfits in their own community. There have been cases where foreign students were so well accepted in their adopted academic community, that they did not want to return, and in other cases, their readjustment problems were compounded by “the happy time” in America.

Reentry may also be affected by the degree of contact and relationship that exists between the student and his family and community during the time of his absence from home. Wars have at times cut off students from home contacts with devastating results.

One of the critical questions is in knowing how long a person can be away from his home culture and not return as a “foreigner.”

4. Psychological Fallout. Many persons see aid to international students as a responsibility and opportunity. The following testimony was given by a missionary, based on his experience:

Over the past ten years we have been closely involved with six foreign students who studied abroad, mostly in North America. We have invested approximately $2,000 in these ventures of faith during this time, and as a result have revised our initial evaluation of the benefits both to the students and the church.

Too few of us are really aware of how difficult it is to “help” someone when finance enters the relationship. There appears to be something inherently demeaning in most aid offered in the form of financial assistance, whether it be for some high purpose, such as student grants, or something else. It can easily violate a person’s self-respect, even though the student may not be aware of this until later.

The sponsor is not always as objective as he might be. If he thinks of the student in terms of a personal or mission investment, he may later be disappointed when the student decides to do something “different” from the expected.

5. Education: Supply and Demand. During the past decade significant strides have been made by many developing nations in the field of education. Many “Third World” countries have made progress in higher education at the undergraduate level. Africa as a continent is an example of this fact. This would suggest that the need to go abroad for higher education may not be as justifiable as was once true.

Overtraining is also a problem. Students have been trained in institutions abroad for jobs that do not exist at home. In some cases persons have been given a very highly specialized training in a field or profession and on return to their home were unable to utilize the gifts or skills they had developed.

THE AGENCY PROBLEM
I There has been considerable pressure on mission and service agencies to assume financial responsibility for overseas students wanting to come to North America for higher education. Requests come either through formal church-mission channels, or from the individuals themselves wanting to study, or from other interested individuals. Missionaries frequently become bridges of contact between international students and the North American colleges and/or mission/service agencies.

Various levels and categories of education and training are in question – undergraduate vs. graduate, church leadership training vs. general education or professional training, degree vs. non-degree programs, etc. Not unrelated to the “student” concern is that of the professionally trained person in another country who wishes to emigrate, either permanently or temporarily, to North America, and wishes to have North American mission/service agency assistance for relocation.

MISSION/ SERVICE AGENCIES AND AID TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
One of the priority areas of mission/service agency concern is leadership training in the overseas church. For this reason, the question of financial assistance for education and leadership training is crucial. The fact is that most mission/service agencies do make investments in education overseas in one form or another.

A sampling of the positions taken on the question to aid to international students by ten different mission boards is summarized as follows:

1. Of ten mission boards contacted (one Mennonite), all but two had a written policy statement on aid to international students.

2. Most of the boards indicated negative experiences in subsidizing education for undergraduate foreign students in U.S. schools.

3. Most boards have either decreased or totally eliminated the subsidy and scholarship aid given to international students for undergraduate education in North America.

4. Some boards serve in a liaison relationship between educational institutions, persons interested in education abroad, and the sponsorship resources.

5. Some of the larger mission boards provide block grants, which are administered in a given country or world area. The Presbyterian Board (COEMAR) reports that $250,000 is allocated for scholarship aid annually. While other phases of program have been cut back, this has not. Approximately one-half of the students receiving aid in the Presbyterian program, study in the United States.

6. Mission boards appear to be lending more support to observation, experience- centered, non-formal programs for international students and leaders. These are usually of a shorter duration.

7. In the area of church leadership training, the Southern Baptists report that subsidy for theological education is provided but must be matched by an equal amount in scholarship grants from the schools to be attended.

8. In none of the cases reviewed do the board’s financial aid policies apply to students who come to North America for study under their own arrangements.

9. A general principle stresses the necessity of receiving higher education at a location near home in the language most readily known by the student.

10. Sponsorship and selection are the two key concerns both for mission/service agencies and the educational institutions receiving the international students.

POLICY STATEMENT
(After extensive research into the problem of aid to overseas students, the Mennonite Board of Missions, Elkhart, Ind., issued the following policy statement:)

1. Where arrangements are made for international students to come to North America for either undergraduate or graduate study at the initiative or on recommendation of missionaries, service workers or church leaders (without official church support or endorsement) or where the student comes for study on his own initiative, responsibility for the financing of the student’s program rests with the institution enrolling the student.

2. Ordinarily scholarships or financial assistance are not offered to international students for undergraduate study in North America by mission/service agencies. There may be cases, however, where so-called undergraduate education in North America will be equivalent to graduate level education for a student from another part of the world. It is recognized that our constituency colleges continue to provide scholarships and aid to international students for undergraduate education as a part of their international education program.

3. In selected cases, scholarships and financial assistance may be given for advanced (graduate) study abroad. This may mean study in a neighboring country, or in another area of the world such as Europe or North America. A number of factors will be taken into consideration:

• Students normally shall have completed the highest level of education available in their own country. Occasional exceptions may be justified because of specialized interests or local school conditions.

• There shall be a clear understanding of responsibility among the parties involved in the study arrangement-the student himself, the school, the agency, the national body endorsing or supporting the student.

• Insofar as possible, advance details shall be agreed by the parties involved both for the study period and for placement following study.

• Normally a student shall not be away from his home country for longer than two years. In some cases, one year may be preferable.

• An objective procedure shall be followed for selecting, screening and processing the potential student. Aspects to consider shall include: language competence, maturity, spiritual commitment, academic potential and the need for job training. (The missionary or service, worker most closely identified with the student under consideration may not be in the best Position to assess a given situation. In other situations, however, the expatriate worker may be able to ask relevant questions, be a cross-cultural liaison, and a neutral party in relation to kinship and tribal factors.

• The student shall have the official endorsement of the local congregation and national conference of which he is a part. This should include some kind of financial sponsorship or involvement if possible.

• Student candidates with several years experience in their own church, and committed to return, are most desirable.

• If feasible, an educational experience linking both academic and practical dimensions should be encouraged. The study- service concept is valuable for international students, particularly those training for church leadership.

• Married student candidates are to be very carefully screened and processed. There should not be prolonged periods of separation from family. It is important that arrangements be made for the wife to share in the educational experience, if the study away from home is for an extended period of time.

• The sponsoring (home) church shall assume responsibility for maintaining communication between the student and his home community and church.

• Guidelines shall be worked out for receipt of monies and gifts by international students over and above scholarship grants or subsidies.

4. Some procedure shall be initiated for being informed of all of the persons from overseas. churches who are studying abroad, particularly those in North American schools.

5. A legitimate program calling for financial assistance from mission/service agencies is one in which leaders from overseas churches are invited to spend time in studyteaching- deputation assignments in North America. There needs to be a strengthening of the fraternal relations between overseas churches and the North American churches. For theological reasons, appropriate forms of fraternal exchanges and relationships need to be explored between churches in different geographical settings.

Overseas churchmen need the refreshment and enrichment that can come from contact and exposure in a transcultural situation. Perhaps of even greater significance is the broadening of Christian perspective that overseas churchmen can bring to western church life.

6. The Mennonite Central Committee Trainee Program may be of value for some persons from overseas churches.

The Trainee Program has certain built-in controls to guarantee the trainee’s return to his home country after a year of living in North America. However, even in this program there are cases where the one year in North America has opened the door to later permanent immigration.

7. Related Concerns: There is need for a more intensive congregational and constituency education on the international student aid question in North American churches. Supporting international students is an area that has considerable appeal for those wanting to help the cause of missions. Unfortunately, some of the problems raised above are not recognized by well-intentioned missions donors.

The above proposal is not intended to take into account all the factors and considerations that should be included in a college or seminary policy statement. This reflects only certain elements that concern a mission or service agency stance on the international aid question.

This policy is intended to speak primarily to the question of aid to students who wish to pursue educational interests in North America. It is not to be understood as a negation of concern of responsibility for education and leadership training in principle. Leadership training and education in overseas churches is an agency priority concern.

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