“We Are Prepared To Process More Student Applications Than We Did Last Year”
We are always watching for visa news, especially in countries like India where getting an appointment can be challenging. In a recent interview, Brendan Mullarkey, Consul General at the US Embassy in New Delhi, stated that additional appointments will be opened up in the coming weeks in both New Delhi and Hyderabad.
“It’s impossible to predict exactly how many students will be applying this year, but we have increased our staffing and we’re prepared to process more student visas this year than we did last year.”
Get the full story on Times of India >
Education Faces Flat Funding Under Debt Ceiling Deal
The much-anticipated vote on the debt ceiling has passed its first hurdle by passing in the House. The Senate takes it up next, and all indications are it will pass, and the US avoids default. We know federal education funding and all nondefense spending will stay flat in fiscal 2024 and get a 1% increase in fiscal 2025. This is a much better deal than what was originally proposed.
“In a tweet May 28, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he applauded President Joe Biden for ‘averting a crisis.’ Cardona also praised the deal for protecting student loan relief. In addition, the agreement calls for resuming collection of student loan payments on a similar schedule as has been planned by the Education Department.”
Get the full story on Higher Ed Dive >
Annual Conference For NAFSA, The Association Of International Educators
The 75th Annual NAFSA Conference is taking place this week in Washington, D.C. This year’s conference opened up with a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Secretary shared his views on the importance of international education and highlighted the steps they have taken over the last two years to improve processes. There is still much to be done, but it is exciting to hear the Secretary address the issue.
“At the State Department, we’re working to expand international education. After the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic ended, more and more international students began applying to study in the United States again. So, we took steps to streamline our visa process and make it easier for students to apply – including by asking our consular teams to prioritize student visas and expanding the opportunities for some students to apply for a visa without an interview. Last year, we issued over 580,000 student visas – the highest number in five years.”
Get the full story on the U.S. Department of State >
