The Real Story of International Students at CoM

The United States is often considered one of the best countries for education and is currently ranked 26th in the 2018 world’s Best. Because of this, you can often see international students at U.S. colleges and universities.

International students are people who decide to continue their secondary education in a foreign country while being on an F-1 student visa (if studying in the US). With opportunities to study abroad often come limitations and restrictions. F-1 students are not allowed to work while studying in the US, with the exception of working part time (not more than 20 hours a week) on their college campus. Meanwhile, they are also required to enroll full time, taking 12 units a semester.

Many times international students choose to attend community colleges instead of prestigious Ivy League universities, due to high international student tuition. One of the most popular areas for an international student is California, and College of Marin is one of many schools that hosts foreign students.

College of Marin is located in Marin County in the Bay Area, approximately 30 minutes north of San Francisco. Marin has a median income of $113,908 and is therefore considered mostly working class to upper class. During the academic year, 2017 - 2018 College of Marin had a total of 13,960 students, 98 of them international students.

International students are often perceived as ‘rich kids’ who study abroad to later brag about it, but if you talk to actual international students, the reality is often the opposite. In 2018 there were even memes circling around joking about the riches of international students with pictures of eggs imprinted with designer logos. Many international students tried to defend themselves and stated that their lives look a lot different from the meme. Yet it feels as if no one took the time to actually listen to the students.

International students at College of Marin paid roughly $9,300 in 2017-18 whereas residents paid roughly $1,400 in tuition for full-time enrollment. One may wonder where the difference in tuition is coming from and why it is so significant.

International students do not have the opportunity to make a lot of money, as they are bound to on-campus jobs. Because these students are often not coming from wealthy families, it can be tough for them to live a carefree life while studying abroad. Instead they are busy studying while also constantly continuing to learn or improve their language skills.

International student Laura was an Au Pair for two years before she started her studies at College of Marin. She decided to go to this college, because she was familiar with the area and because it is close to her housing. When asked about international student tuition, she explained, “it is too much because a resident only has to pay like $800 for 12 units, but we pay $4000. I think that’s ridiculously expensive. You have to be literally rich to study here."

Alexandra Magallanes-Rivera, an international student counselor at College of Marin, explained, “In-State tuition is only $46 per unit, but that’s not how much it costs to educate a student. It costs more than that. In-state students are only charged this much, because the rest of the money is given to the California Community Colleges from the state.”

Although tuition for international students seems very high, studying abroad can be beneficial for foreign students. Not only do they get to experience a different culture, but they also make themselves available for new opportunities.

Marixa Barnett, Enrollment Services Associate at College of Marin, described international students as “a key essential part of the student body here at CoM. I feel that international students are the ideal student, because they really want to be here, and it took them a lot to get here. They have so much more to maintain than students who grew up here. They have to maintain their status, deal with a language barrier, and cultural differences. International students bring zest and different perspective to our community, and we embrace each one of them.”

International students come from different countries, cultures and social classes. Therefore it is important to not stereotype them as ‘rich kids’, but to see them as individuals. If given the chance, talking to an international student can open perspectives and show the importance of them for the economy of U.S. Community Colleges.