The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Neglected internationals

    I love my job, classes and on-campus apartment. My college years have been the best of my life so far. Every day I’m grateful to have my American citizenship for providing a pleasant college experience, because if I weren’t a citizen, I’d be facing quite a few more problems. 

    My social work classes have made me sensitive to “vulnerable populations,” or groups of people who have limited or no access to resources available to the majority population. The suicide of Ritesh Chaudhary, a student from Nepal, in the spring of 2013 left me heartbroken and opened my eyes to the needs of international students. 

    Through my two years of work with The Lion’s Roar, I discovered that because so few international students own cars, it is necessary for Southeastern to fund rides to the mall so they can buy clothes and other necessities.  Two of my roommates are nursing majors, and they often have to give rides to their international classmates to their clinicals in Baton Rouge. 

    It didn’t surprise me that many international students don’t have cars after I learned student visas typically only allow international students to hold student worker jobs. While I love my work-study job, it isn’t enough to support someone through college. Most student worker jobs pay minimum wage, and the rest pay little more. Student workers are also limited to working 20 or 25 hours each week, further limiting the amount of money students can make. Even I can’t support myself solely on a student worker job. Despite my full scholarship, I have to take out student loans to cover the expenses my job can’t provide for. International students who aren’t American citizens don’t even have that option, as it is illegal for them to take out any kind of loan in the United States. 

    Even the exceptions to the employment restrictions are problematic. Those with student visas can be employed off campus for a year, so long as their job relates closely to their major. I don’t know exactly how many biology, engineering or graphic design jobs are available to students without degrees, but I imagine there aren’t many. Unless fast food or retail jobs relate to their majors, I’m going to assume many students would have a hard time finding employment in their field before graduation. 

    Federal policy tries to combat financial issues in international students by requiring proof of financial support in order to qualify for a student visa. However, the only proof they need to show is that they can pay for housing and tuition throughout their time at Southeastern. This doesn’t include financial support for groceries, cars or other necessities. 

    Let me be clear, Southeastern isn’t responsible for these policies; federal law requires these employment restrictions for international students. I must commend Southeastern for attempting to alleviate the financial burden of international students by implementing a food pantry and providing rides to the mall. 

    However, this isn’t enough. Many international students still have trouble finding a place to live between semesters, and the demands of college often require access to a car. Meeting the needs of international students through various programs places strains on Southeastern’s already limited budget. We should all advocate for the alleviation of employment restrictions for international students. If they are permitted to study in this country, they should be able to support themselves. Then, the funds now directed toward assisting international students could be free to address other university needs. 

    I encourage everyone to write to legislators and strive for a change in student visa policy. No matter what country we’re from, we are all Lions. One Lion’s struggle hurts the entire Pride.

     
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