According to USA Today, US colleges and universities are experiencing an influx of students from Saudi Arabia to study English as a Second Language in the US. In 2006 there were 11,116 Saudi students enrolled in school in the US. Last year that number rose to 71,026. That is an increase of nearly 60,000 students in only 7 years!

There are many benefits for universities, including recruitment through conditional admission as a degree seeking student when a student completes the ESL program as well as increasing diversity and internationalization of their campuses. At the same time, the Saudi students benefit not only from a comprehensive scholarship and a five year visa to the US but also by gaining intercultural experience and learning about American culture and life.

 Until he arrived on campus, “I thought all (Americans) had guns,” says Abdullah Khalid Maghrabi, 19. He stayed indoors for a week before he thought it was safe to go outside. Now, he says, weather is a more pressing concern. “I don’t know what to wear every morning. In my country, all the seasons are the same — it’s hot.”

UMass Boston hosts over 100 Saudi students in our programs.