ISSUES
New Report: More Than 5.3 Million Immigrant-Origin Students Enrolled in Colleges and Universities
Posted: October 15, 2020
Modified: October 17, 2022
ISSUES
Posted: October 15, 2020
Modified: October 17, 2022
NEW REPORT: MORE THAN 5.3 MILLION IMMIGRANT-ORIGIN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Nearly thirty percent of all students in higher education are immigrants or children of immigrants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2020
Contact: Jose Magaña-Salgado (jose@presidentsalliance.org)
Washington, D.C.—Today, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration released a new Presidents’ Alliance-commissioned and Migration Policy Institute-produced report, Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Higher Education, demonstrating that in 2018 more than 5.3 million students, or 28% of all students enrolled in colleges and universities, were immigrants or the children of immigrants. The report’s findings reveal the growing proportion of first and second generation immigrant students in postsecondary education, the diversity of these students, and their importance for future U.S. labor growth. The report’s findings show the direct impacts and real-life consequences that immigration policies can have on millions of students and families.
You can view the full report here. The Presidents’ Alliance and partners will also host a briefing on the new report today at 3pm et. To register and learn more about the briefing here.
Among the report’s key findings:
Miriam Feldblum, Executive Director, Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, stated: “The report confirms the importance of first and second generation immigrant students for the future of the United States. They are a racially diverse and growing community in higher education. It’s paramount for higher education institutions to reach out to immigrant-origin students. The report underscores how immigration policies, like immigration bans, the exclusion of federal aid to undocumented/DACA students or TPS recipients, or changes to the public charge rule, negatively impact millions of students and their families, including their ability to afford postsecondary education and persist through school. Higher education must help address the distinctive immigration-related obstacles that immigrant students and their families face. When immigrant-origin students succeed, colleges, universities, local communities, and the U.S. economy succeed alongside them.”
# #
The non-partisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration brings together college and university leaders dedicated to increasing public understanding of how immigration policies and practices impact our students, campuses and communities, and supporting policies that create a welcoming environment for undocumented, immigrant, and international students. The Alliance is composed of approximately 500 presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, representing over five million students in 42 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.