University of Virginia Library

RESOLUTION ON THE EDUCATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

On November 29, 1979, Governor Dalton wrote the Rectors of all Virginia institutions of higher education in which he requested that each governing board "undertake an indepth review of all their policies relating to foreign students ..., including tuition and fees, and adopt a comprehensive policy statement which is in the best interest of the institution, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America." In his introductory paragraph, he said that it had been brought to his attention that "Virginia tax payers are heavily subsidizing foreign students in our State-supported institutions of higher education and that many of our governing boards have no comprehensive board policy regarding admissions, financial aid, tuition and fees and other important facets related to enrolling foreign students. In addition, I believe that because foreign students enjoy tuition and fee rates which are considerably below the full cost of instruction, Virginia students, as a result of the 70/30 formula through their tuition and fees, also subsidize foreign students."

• The following statements resulted from a review of policies relating to international students at the University of Virginia:
• 1. Foreign students at the University of Virginia pay the regular tuition and fees required of all non-Virginian students.
• 2. The Office of the International Student Adviser requires that all foreign students stay in strict compliance with regulations of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
• 3. For the fall semester of 1979, the University enrolled 231 students from abroad, including 5 at Clinch Valley College. The number of foreign students has increased as the total enrollments for the University have increased, but the percentage of foreign students to the total has remained consistently between 1.5 and 2% since 1960.
• 4. Foreign and American applicants for admission to the University have the same requirements, and their applications are handled by the same process, except that all foreign students whose first language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language and have a satisfactory score forwarded to the University before admission is granted. The present cut-off point for this examination is a score of 600 on a scale of 800.

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• 5. Consistently between 80% and 85% of the University's foreign students complete the requirements for the degree program they are in, a slightly higher percentage than that for the American students.
• 6. There are some foreign students here on some kind of a sponsored program such as the Fulbright Program.
• 7. For the fall semester of 1979, 51% of the foreign students paid their own way from their personal or family funds. Those receiving some University support constituted 21% of the foreign student body, 6% received support from their home governments, 5% received support from the United States government (research assistants on grants and contracts), 5% received support from American private sponsors, another 5% received support from private foreign sponsors, and 7% had part-time employment. Foreign students are required to have available to them a minimum of $6,000 for each academic year, exclusive of travel, and this basic figure is higher for married students.
• 8. In general, the University is pleased with its international student body. Through interaction with other students and with faculty members, students from abroad add a desirable cosmopolitism to the University community. Further, as a national institution of higher learning, the University has some responsibility to educate promising students from abroad.

• The Board then unanimously adopted the following policy statement:
• RESOLVED by The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia that the following statement on the education of international students be and it is hereby approved.
• Since 1826 when the first international student was enrolled, the University of Virginia has accepted among its responsibilities a commitment to provide opportunities to citizens from any areas of the world to study, to teach, and to share the atmosphere of Jeffersonian freedom. The University considers the admission of a number of qualified students from other countries a part of its educational program. International students enhance the life of the University and contribute to the education and personal growth of American students and faculty members. They pay the same tuition and fees as do American non-Virginians; they are not eligible for state-funded scholarships or fellowships.