International students studying at Tufts and other American schools could be hit with a $95 government fee as early as next year if new immigration regulations are published before next semester.
The government's Immigration and Naturalization Service department (INS) anticipates to finilize the regulations this summer and will begin to collect the fee thirty days later.
But colleges have expressed outrage at the proposal because they say the timing will not allow them to inform students of the changes.
"It could cause havoc if implemented this summer," said Jane Etish-Andrews, director of Tufts' International Center, which handles immigration affairs for the 800 foreign students at the Medford/Somerville Campus. "We send out information to incoming international students at the end of May and we would like to give them as much information as possible. Knowing the way the government works, we won't see this moving too fast."
The director said she was not certain if the fee would apply to students already in the U.S. and she was anxious to let current students know if they would be affected by the regulations. She also added that Canadian students would have to pay the fee, even though they do not require a visa to study in the US.
Students will be able to pay the one-time fee using a credit card over the Internet or with a money order drawn on a US bank.
If implemented, the fee will be paid by more than 100,000 students and visiting scholars annually, in addition to visa fees of at least $45. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the proceeds will be used to fund a tracking system containing the addresses and academic status of all foreign students in the United States. Plans for the fee were discussed last year when the INS asked institutions to collect the fee for them, but, according to Etish-Andrews, nothing emerged after colleges and universities refused to act as INS branch offices.
With all the possible administrative headaches the fee may cause, several universities have written to the INS to oppose the changes, and educators are optimistic that the fee will not be implemented in the immediate future.
"It probably won't happen in the summer, but the fee may still go into effect later," the director said.
But many are still against the fee in principle. International Club President Sean McDermott said he was against the fee because he found the idea of tracking students unethical.
"I find that it is a bit of a controversial idea and not necessarily the best way of addressing immigration problems," he said. "I might be in favor of a fee if it was going to be used for a better purpose."
Many educators are against the charge because they say it will create an undue burden on many students, particularly those from developing countries without access to the methods of payment. With the cost of an American college education fast approaching $40,000 for international students, they are concerned that the new fee will do more harm than good.
Etish-Andrews said foreign graduate students, many with limited resources, would be hurt the most by the fee.
"Many grad students are here on scholarships and they don't have a lot of extra money," she said. "And all these fees add up."
And although undergraduate international students tend to come from more affluent backgrounds, according to Etish-Andrews, a few make real sacrifices to come to the United States.
According to Director of Financial Aid Bill Eastwood, 14 of 400 foreign undergraduates are receiving aid from the University, with seven to ten more anticipated in next year's freshman class. He said the university would consider paying the $95 fee for those in need.
But while students may be able to manage with the extra burden, many see a contradiction between the fee and the United States' desire to bring in international students.
"We shouldn't be taxing people like this," Etish-Andrews said. "The US takes for granted this great industry we have of educating people from abroad."
Etish-Andrews was concerned that the new fee would discourage international students from studying in the US, thus changing the international make-up of the Tufts community. "Students are savvy and they are looking at other markets where the education is cheaper and more closely related with their education at home. If we keep adding on fees, we run the risk of losing students."
According to The Chronicle, Australia and the UK are emerging as America's competitors for students. Although the number of foreign students is much lower in those countries, enrollment has grown much faster there than in the US.
