Increase in Foreign-Born US University Doctorates

In the October 29 issue of Chemical and Engineering News, there is a short article by AW indicating that foreign-born US doctorates are up. A National Science Foundation (NSF) study found that in 2010 40% of doctoral graduates in science and engineering and health from US universities were foreign-born, compared to 17% in 1961 to '70.

The article did not question why there was such an increase in foreign-born students, but I can suggest why.

A tremendous amount of taxpayer money is spent by various US government agencies in grants to universities for research and development. This allows ample funds to various University professors and a considerable amount of this filters off to graduate students. Foreigners are generally more astute in looking for bargains than are US citizens, and students realize they can come to the US for advanced education at relatively low cost.

I have no objection to education of foreign students, but I do not believe it should be done on US taxpayer funding. Let's get rid of the government agency grants to universities and see how much practical R&D will be funded at universities expense and how that affects foreign-born graduate school attendance.