International students are students, usually in early adulthood, who study in foreign educational institutions. While most universities have official student exchange programs, some well-funded high schools have them, too. Although some students travel abroad mainly to improve their language skills, others travel to advance their specialized studies. Still others study abroad because suitable tertiary education is either in short supply or unavailable altogether in their home countries. In addition, in many parts of the world, a foreign degree, especially if earned from certain countries, is honored more than a local one.

Prospective international students are usually required to sit for language tests, such as IELTS1 & TOEFL2(English speaking education), DELF3 (French speaking education) or DELE4 (Spanish speaking education), before they are admitted. Tests notwithstanding, while some international students already possess an excellent command of the local language upon arrival, some find their language ability, considered excellent domestically, inadequate for the purpose of understanding lectures, and/or of conveying oneself fluently in rapid conversations.

Many countries force international students to pay higher tuition than citizens of the country. This discrimination is usually justified by the argument that the students' parents do not pay taxes in the country. The fact that a large number of international students decide to settle in the country where they are studying and become productive citizens is, however, ignored in such cases.

Criticisms

International student programs have over the years encountered a number of criticisms, both from the host countries and from the international students themselves. While some of the criticisms are well-founded, others are based on misperceptions or even racism.

International student programs can be a politically sensitive issue in the host countries. Opponents of the programs fear that international students would take the limited university placements away from local students. Proponents of the programs counter this belief by arguing that the high fees paid by international students enable universities to maintain, or even increase, placements for local students.

It is not unusual for international students to encounter language problems in the host countries. Despite the pre-admission language tests — which might give the students a false sense of mastery over a foreign language — students often find it difficult to understand the coursework, and some might feel that their lecturers are unhelpful in explaining the coursework to them. Academics, under pressure from cash-strapped university authorities to retain international students, sometimes make the courses easier, to the resentment of many local students. It has been speculated that language difficulties may contribute to the problem of plagiarism, particularly in the form of using essay mills.5