It’s good news for universities that the number of overseas applicants seeking advanced degrees is finally on the rise.

After Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. government made the process for applying for and receiving educational visas more difficult. There is a significant backlog in processing foreign student visa applications that can seriously hinder potential foreign students. The number of foreign students’ applications for graduate school has been declining for several years.

This year, these applications jumped 11 percent, according to the nonprofit Council of Graduate Schools.

A little more than 49,000 foreign graduate students started degree programs at U.S. universities in 2004. That is a more than 14 percent decline from 2001, according to a March 24 article on the Reuters’ wire.

NIU has more than 1,250 international visitors who come from more than 90 countries, according to the NIU Graduate School Web site. This number includes “about 425 graduate students, about 250 undergraduate students, about 550 permanent-resident students, and several visiting scholars and temporary faculty.”

As evidenced by NIU’s numbers, the international community can be an important part of campus culture. The United States and the universities in it need to encourage international students to come here.

The spread of ideas fostered by international contact is invaluable, especially with countries such as India and China emerging as strong technological competitors. Also, the cultural benefits of having international students at a university is immense.

And if money is a concern, international students bring increased revenue to universities as well.

Stuart Heiser, a spokesman for the Council of Graduate Schools, said this in the Reuters article:

“Obviously, if there are fewer students, there is less revenue, less research going on, and less of a chance of a significant breakthrough or innovation.”

That last point is the most important. All universities, including NIU, would benefit from attracting the best and the brightest from around the world. This recruiting is necessary for U.S. schools to remain world players. Also, many students remain in the U.S. after graduation and contribute to their fields and to the economy. Those who leave can help others in their own countries.

Without valuable international students, especially ones seeking advanced degrees, the U.S. will decline in quality and lose respect from other countries. Without easier and speedier visa application processing, international students will go to countries that smooth the way for them instead.

This is why the increase in international applications is so important. The United States needs to help and encourage international scholars.