The World's Global Classroom

International students don’t qualify for federal financial aid, and they pay much higher fees at state schools. However, for a group of young Indian science and engineering students getting their master’s degrees at San Jose State University, the shot at opportunities and high future earnings are worth it. KQED reporter Madi Bolaños says their cramped shared apartment has not dampened their spirits.

Community colleges are an attractive option for international students, in part, because they’re a fraction of the cost of four-year universities. But higher nonresident tuition fees, ineligibility for state or federal aid and limited options for work can still generate sticker shock for people when they arrive in the US.

Many highly skilled doctors who have the necessary qualifications are struggling to find work in the United States, even though there is a real need for them in some places.

Florida International University has cut ties with multiple Chinese academic partners and ended successful dual programs it’s operated in China for years. Officially, the move is to comply with a state law that limits public agencies having a relationship with seven “countries of concern.” University trustees remain tight-lipped about the decision, but WLRN’s Danny Rivero reports that these university programs appear to be victims of anti-Chinese rhetoric in Florida.

The Department of Education released the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid last December. The new version was supposed to make applying for financial help easier. Instead, a glitch has prevented students whose parents don’t have social security numbers from completing the application. WBEZ reporter Lisa Kurian Philip spoke to three high school seniors in the Chicago area who are worried that unless there is a fix soon, they won’t be able to afford to go to college.