The Women's Center

International Students

International students at Virginia Tech can find information, help and support at:

International Student and Scholar Support Office www.issso.grads.vt.edu/
Cranwell International Center www.uusa.vt.edu/cranwell/index.htm
Council of International Student Organization http://filebox.vt.edu/org/ciso/
English Learning Institute www.eli.vt.edu/news/archives/2002/02.html

Cranwell International Center : www.uusa.vt.edu/cranwell/index.htm

Located on Virginia Tech Campus, at the extension of West Clay Street and overlooking the tennis courts on Washington Street
The center provides educational, cultural and social activities for the international community at Virginia Tech. They also encourage an exchange between international students and their U.S. counterparts.

The International Friendship Program

Sponsored by the Cranwell International Center: www.uusa.vt.edu/cranwell/cprogram/hostprog.htm
It is a friendship exchange between local residents and international students (either single students, married couples or students with children).
International students are paired with a local friendship host for the school year.
Host provides insight and helps the international student become familiar and comfortable with life in America (and at Virginia Tech), while the host has the opportunity to learn more about other cultures.

The following information was gathered from an article in Virginia Tech’s newspaper, Collegiate Times.

Because of the tragedy of September 11, many colleges and universities around the country experienced a steady decrease in the number of international students. Virginia Tech also experienced a large decline in its number of International students because many foreign students had difficulty acquiring a student visa. Stricter laws have been enforced and now a personal interview is required for a student to receive a visa. This takes much longer than it used to.

The exact statistical information of the number of international students at Virginia Tech is not yet available, however there are various factors that could contribute to the decline. These include the following.

Other countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain have been attracting international students more heavily than in the past.
England’s more lenient immigration policies offer students the opportunity to come study English for six months without getting a student visa.
There are three American universities that are now offering programs in foreign countries so the international students can stay overseas but still get an American degree.

Of the 24,000 students at Virginia Tech, approximately 1400 are international students, coming from 100 different countries.

Over 30 percent of the graduate students at Virginia Tech are international.

Click here for PDF version of the article

Article by: Hannah Greene