Albishi, 25, is one of thousands of international students arriving each year in the United States to study English as the first step toward a college degree. They come from all over the world, but Saudi Arabia, where the government has poured billions of dollars into a generous scholarship program, is driving the recent surge.

Saudi student enrollments have skyrocketed from 11,116 in 2006, to 71,026 last year, according to the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission to the United States, the Virginia-based agency that administers the scholarships. Nearly all recipients (95%) start with language training, which can take from a month to a year or more, officials say.

The infusion of full-paying international students has been a boon for cash-strapped U.S. colleges. ...

read more: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/NEWS/usaedition/2013-01-14-College-English_ST_U.htm

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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon