Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter in response to the article titled “Collegiate outcry strikes the education budget cuts capitol” published in The Lion’s Roar about the recent student rally against the education budget cuts at Louisiana’s State Capitol. I am very pleased that students are uniting under SAVE SELU to re-establish their fundamental right of education. I, an international student, fully support this remarkable student movement to stop legislatures playing with the futures of students. I want to draw the attention of concerned authorities to the effect that budget cuts have on international students. Being an international student myself, budget cuts have severely affected our financial standing. International students are required to pay out of state tuition and international student fees, which are even higher in comparison to the tuition required by students from Louisiana. Tuition will rise even more with a 10 percent increase each year.

Due to budget cuts, many academic programs are cut with even more academic programs being considered of being cut. Most of the international students at Southeastern are enrolled in the College of Science and Technology, where some of its programs are being cut, like history or lower completer programs. This has created a situation of fear among international students. International students come from different countries around the world to Louisiana because of the affordability and quality of education. Now, the situation has changed. Quality education has declined despite the tuition increase. It is totally unacceptable to have an increased student investment just to balance the budget cuts and the increment in the quality of the education not increase.

According to the Association of International Educators, international students contribute nearly $18.78 billion to the U.S. economy and $138 million to Louisiana’s economy. At Southeastern alone, 236 international students in 2009-10 contributed approximately $4.9 million dollars to the local economy. This shows that international students do not only add cultural diversity among the student body, but also help empower the local community through economic contribution. Despite this contribution, international students have unfair tuition rates and are also ineligible for any kind of federal grants or loans. Work study programs are also limited for international students. International students only have one option: compete for the few merit scholarships, which have also been severely affected by recent budget cuts.

Removal of academic programs and funding for research and development has seriously affected the quality of education. International students leave their country in order to receive a world recognized U.S. education. According to a study conducted by International Graduate Insight Group, America’s position as the most attractive study abroad location could be in trouble. Many international students are now considering  European countries or Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia. This could lead to a difficult situation for the U.S. economy. As I mentioned above, international students make a significant impact on the U. S. economy.

I want to draw the attention of concerned authorities to stop the devastating budget cuts on education, which will eventually harm the country’s own economy. I also want to implore all students, faculty, staff and the community to fight back against budget cuts, as education is our fundamental right.