STL Mosaic Project Exec. Dir. Betsy Cohen talks on the benefit of international students to region
According to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contribute $41 billion in support and 458,290 jobs to the U.S. economy. For the St. Louis region, international students at Washington University and St. Louis University bring in over $270 million to the local economy and support nearly 4,000 jobs, according to the Association of International Educators and reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
These revenue streams can continue flowing since the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regulation has been overturned. ICE announced in early July that international students in the U.S. on F-1 visas would have to leave the country if they do not take at least one-in-person class this upcoming semester. However, many schools across the nation are only offering online classes to mitigate the risk of their students and personnel getting infected by COVID-19. With the regulation rescinded, international students can continue making the St. Louis region a better place to live.