Writing for the Voice of America, one international student by the name of Thuy lamented that international students do not have the same opportunities as American students to finance their education – despite America being a land of freedom and equal opportunities.
Here is a serious question: would you pay money to an employee that is not working for you, especially if your business is going through hard times?
If our country had money flowing out of its ears, then it would be a pretty good idea to offer top-of-the-line education to those that want to learn from us. This might even help repair our global reputation, which has been tarnished by the embarrassment that is the Iraq War and the greed-driven failings of our top financial institutions.
But right now, with the reality of recession pressing down on our shoulders, we have to make sure that our money is well spent on individuals that will make a contribution to America.
The American taxpayer expects the government to focus on citizens that can build a better future for our country. Heck, even illegal immigrants can contribute something to our country by living and working in it.
What I am saying is that we should finance students that we know will make America a better place to live in.
Now don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying that all international students should not receive financial aid. It is just that we already have a very serious threat to our future.
It’s called student loan debt.
Students and graduates all over the country are being choked by student debt to the point where they can no longer make progress in their own lives. This is not an easy problem to solve. On one hand, you have businesses and institutions depending on that money. On the other, you have individuals who have massive debts but not enough decent jobs to quickly pay off those debts.
So should we finance international students? Yes, if they plan to contribute to American society, but no, if they are just looking for free education they can bring back home.