The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Number of students going to U.S. for undergraduate studies may dip

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Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Number of students going to U.S. for undergraduate studies may dip

Sruthi Krishnan

In graduate studies, there may not be any major change, says USIEF official

Adam J. Grotsky

CHENNAI: What with the economic downturn, the number of students going to the United States for undergraduate studies could dip in the future, according to Adam J. Grotsky, executive director, United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF).

At an interview here on Monday, Mr. Grotsky said that thanks to a robust economy in the past five years, there was an increase in the number of students going to the United States for undergraduate studies. This increase, he said, was due to easier access to educational loans and higher levels of disposable incomes. As the disposable income would be affected by the downturn, “next couple of years could see a decline,” though there was no such indication at present. Mr. Grotsky was on his first visit to Chennai after assuming office as executive director in May last. The USIEF was established under an agreement on educational exchange between India and the U.S. in 1950. It administers the Fulbright fellowships for Indian and American students, faculty and professionals. After a new agreement was signed in July last year, India became an equal partner, and the scholarships were rechristened Fulbright-Nehru scholarships and grants.

Tuition fees

“In the graduate sector, I don’t foresee any major change,” Mr. Grotsky said. For graduate students, tuition fees were often paid by the institutions in the form of graduate assistantships. As international students, especially in science and technology, were the backbone of research institutions in the U.S., having them on campuses remained a priority.

Asked whether the funding for the Fulbright scholarships would be affected by the downturn, he said: “Not at all.”

As the funding of the Fulbright-Nehru scholarships and grants came from the U.S. and Indian governments, it would remain steady.

More scholarships

The U.S. provided $2.3 million, which would be matched by the Indian government for the following academic year, Mr. Grotsky said.

The doubling of the funding would translate into a doubling of the number of scholarships. “It is difficult to put an exact number,” he said. At present, there were 87 Fulbright scholars, and the number could increase to 160-170 in the coming year.

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