FLORIDA TODAY

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Saudi students surge at Florida Tech

By JAMES DEAN



November 25, 2005



MELBOURNE - An April meeting at President Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch has resulted in long days for Florida Tech admissions officers this fall.

Gas prices topped the agenda with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who was then the crown prince. But he also pledged to promote scholarships for students to study in the United States to help foster cultural understanding.

Applications have been pouring in since his government announced the new program, which will provide at least 5,000 undergraduate and post-graduate scholarships a year over the next five years.

"It's been kind of frenzied for the last two months," said Judith Marino, Florida Tech's director of admissions.

The university, which now has 28 Saudi Arabian students, received more than 400 applications from Saudis, and has admitted about 230 for enrollment over the next year.

The University of Central Florida has also seen an increase in applications, with 34 students expected for the spring semester.

How many admitted students actually show up in Melbourne remains to be seen, since many have applied to multiple schools and are weighing their options. Most of those who come here will spend up to a year studying English before enrolling at Florida Tech.

The sudden influx of Saudis could help reverse a 30 percent decline in international student enrollment since the bombing of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, particularly of Middle Eastern students.

Nationwide last year, the number of international students studying in the U.S. remained flat, but preliminary surveys this fall show gains, according to a report released last week by the Institute of International Education in New York.

"We welcome the Saudi government initiative, because it is important to keep academic and educational exchanges between our two countries," said Peggy Blumenthal, IIE's executive vice president.

Less shocking

Thirty-five new Saudi students are participating this semester in the pre-enrollment English Language Services program at Florida Tech's Gleason Hall, where a group of students played Ping-Pong and chatted outside their dorm rooms on a recent afternoon. Thirty more Saudis are expected next semester.

"It's everybody's dream, because the universities here are really good," said 17-year-old Abdulrahman Alsomali, who wants to study engineering.

Although he arrived in Melbourne just a few weeks ago, Alsomali said he feels at home.

"It's as if a part of Saudi Arabia came here, because of the large numbers," he said.

Several new students said they worried about the backlash some Muslims experienced across the country after the Sept. 11 attacks and the challenges resulting from increased government scrutiny of visas.

Heavy student visa backlogs created in recent years have eased, but the students still are concerned about returning home for holidays for fear they'll have trouble getting back to school.

"If you have the chance to come to the States, it's better because you have more choices," said 18-year-old Hamad Bin Yousef. "The academics will be better in some subjects, and you get better jobs when you go home."

Arab interest

The scholarship program has sparked interest across the Middle East about studying in the United States, said Joseph Humadi, president of the U.S. Educational Group, which leads universities including Florida Tech and UCF on recruiting tours of the region.

"It's changing the mindset of the Arab students in the Gulf area wanting to come back to the U.S.," he said. "They're seeing that everything's OK."

He added that the Saudis aren't receiving preferential treatment for visas or college admissions. All international students must interview with embassy officials, and some undergo additional background checks against watch lists.

For Saudis, it typically takes between two weeks and two months to get a visa, compared to as little as a day before Sept. 11.

Hamad Abosaqsaid the increase in Saudi students would help both countries.

"When many students come here and study, that helps understanding between the cultures," he said.

Contact Dean at 242-3617 or jdean@flatoday.net