Tough visa rules cut number of Kenyans seeking to study in US
What you need to know:
An international undergraduate at the London School of Business spends an average of Sh2.6 million (£19,750) per year including living expenses while a master’s degree costs as much as Sh3.3 million (£25,000) per year.
An undergraduate or master’s degree in Kenya costs between Sh200,000 and Sh400,000 per year depending on the university.
Local universities, whose numbers have increased over time, introduced new courses traditionally limited to public and foreign universities, tilting the ground against foreign colleges.
Not only have they embraced technology — making it more convenient for learners to follow classes and submit their work from remote locations — they have also partnered with foreign universities to make it less compelling for Kenyans to pursue higher education abroad.
The number of Kenyan students enrolling in US universities dropped sharply in the past eight years as Washington tightened immigration rules and college fees rose above those charged by competing foreign destinations, latest data shows.
Enrolment of Kenyan students in United States colleges fell 13.3 per cent in 2010 – the highest in an eight-year decline that started in 2003.
The Institute of International Education (IIE), a non-profit organisation that tracks the number of international students enrolled in American universities, found that 4,666 Kenyans chose to study in the US in 2010, down from 5,384 in 2009.
This is the lowest number registered since the 1998/1999 academic year when 4,945 Kenyans enrolled in US colleges.
Student visas issued to Kenyans in Nairobi and from other locations to pursue higher education in Australia in 2010 also fell by 20.83 per cent to 745 down from 941 in 2009.
The two countries got less Kenyan students even as alternative destinations such as the United Kingdom, South Africa and Canada registered increased enrolment, indicating that Kenyans’ appetite for foreign education has not waned.
George Njenga, the deputy vice chancellor in charge of research and quality assurance at Strathmore University, said transnational education has continued to grow and has become an important source of foreign exchange for many countries.
Foreign students contributed approximately Sh1.7 trillion ($20 billion) to the US economy in 2010, 53.5 per cent of it from China, India, South Korea, Canada and Taiwan, according to IIE.
“Asia has particularly become an important source of foreign students for Western universities due to the recent expansion of the middle class and more spending capability in countries such as China, India and South Korea – making countries like Kenya less attractive,” said Dr Njenga.
According to him, the number of local institutions of higher learning has grown to around 62 from around 22 in 2008, reducing the pace of emigration.
“There are more universities in Kenya, giving parents a cheaper alternative than foreign colleges,” he said.
Neighbouring Uganda and South Africa are offering cheaper alternatives that have made their mark on the flow of students.
The South African High Commission in Nairobi has, for instance, recorded a steady increase in the number of Kenyans seeking student visas in the past three years.
The High Commission issued 711 visas last year up from 598 in 2010, indicating a strong growth in the number of Kenyans seeking to study in Africa’s largest economy.
At the British High Commission in Nairobi, data shows that a total of 1,090 student visas were issued last year compared to 1,014 in 2010 and 770 in 2009, indicating a steady growth.
UK universities have particularly pushed up the number of Kenyan students after intensive road shows organised with the participation of the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) the department responsible for immigration.
The British High Commission told the Business Daily that so far, three student fairs have been held this year with the fourth fixed for this month. Canada issued 182 visas last year, up from 174 in 2010 even as enrolment to the United States dropped.
The US, UK and other western countries have tightened immigration policies, backing it up with extra measures such electronic tracking of foreign students as they seek to reduce the risk of terrorism.
But global economic hardships have also left many families less capable of paying the high fees charged by foreign universities as scholarship opportunities also dwindled.
A survey on what international students think about education in the US found that six in 10 prospective students worldwide perceived tuition to be expensive.
The survey, which involved 9,330 responses from two African, four Asian, three European and two Latin American countries, revealed that while 75 per cent of prospective students reported the US as their top choice for higher education, half of the respondents expressed concern over the process of obtaining a student visa.
A cost comparison of various popular world-class universities shows that international students enrolled in the US pay relatively higher fees than their counterparts in other countries.
A full-time international student pays between Sh4.25 million ($50,000) and Sh5.1 million ($60,000) a year for an undergraduate or master’s degree at the University of Southern California which last year topped the list of American Universities with the most international students.
Other colleges popular with international students such as Boston University charge an average of Sh4.76 million ($56,000) a year.
Purdue University, also popular with international students, charges Sh3.78 million ($44,480) a year.
Fees and living expenses are a little lower in Australia, compared to the US — ranging between Sh3 million and Sh3.8 million per year at La Trobe University in Melbourne.
An international undergraduate at the London School of Business spends an average of Sh2.6 million (£19,750) per year including living expenses while a master’s degree costs as much as Sh3.3 million (£25,000) per year.
An undergraduate or master’s degree in Kenya costs between Sh200,000 and Sh400,000 per year depending on the university.
Local universities, whose numbers have increased over time, introduced new courses traditionally limited to public and foreign universities, tilting the ground against foreign colleges.
Not only have they embraced technology — making it more convenient for learners to follow classes and submit their work from remote locations — they have also partnered with foreign universities to make it less compelling for Kenyans to pursue higher education abroad.
Dr Njenga said that in the past, lack of education opportunities linked to limited capacity and lower probability of employment were push factors for emigration to the US and Australia which had opportunities for work after graduation.
“This is becoming more difficult due to the global economic crisis,” he said.
However, Allan Goodman, president and chief executive officer of IIE says that the large increase in secondary schools in the region and in Kenya is expected to continue churning out more secondary school graduates each year, keeping the demand for higher education high.
