USA

It was an experience I and the other founders had all been through: researching and applying to colleges, and really being confused about what drives the recruitment and selection of students. We felt that it was inefficient

After using rock stars and basketball players in its video English lessons, US ELT company English, baby! has gone a step further – recruiting the CEOs of companies to teach business English. In the videos CEOs discuss their business and relevant English terms.

A bill that sought to expand the number of visas issued to international students of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) by 55,000 was defeated last week in the US House of Representatives, although some accord on the issue was reached. Political support for easier access for STEM students to the UK is also gathering...

US college graduates who study abroad find jobs sooner and earn higher salaries than those who stay on campus for their entire college careers, a new survey has found. A staggering 90% got their first job within six months of graduation compared to just 49% of respondents in a separate national survey.

New moves are being made to ensure accreditation of universities and colleges is satisfactory in the USA, following a report highlighting weaknesses in the system. A bill to ensure HE institutions have relevant accreditation made it through the first stage of government process this week...

The Student Exchange and Visitor Programme (SEVP) arm of US government has quelled fears about the accreditation of US "combined IEPs" – intensive English language programmes operating from university campuses – by providing a detailed list of FAQs online.

Mitt Romney, the Republican’s US presidential candidate, has called for all foreign students who obtain Masters or Doctorate degrees in maths, science or engineering at US universities to be granted permanent residency in the country. His position mirror's that of Obama's, suggesting new policy is increasingly likely.

Leading language schools in California are considering lobbying action over new state licensing regulations which they say are unfair. Recent rules classing them as "vocational education" mean duplicate state-level accreditation is required plus contributions to a tuition recovery fund their clients may not easily be able to access.

A heated debate in the US congress is taking place over how to pay for a cut to student loan interest rates. New borrowers could pay on average US$1,000 more in interest on loans that would be used to finance study abroad, and Obama is urging congress to act.

The American Association of Intensive English Language Programs (AAIEP), which represents nearly 300 English schools across the US, unveiled its cool new brand logo last week at the NAFSA conference in Houston...

In the USA, government agency SEVP is creating panic, stating that on-campus IEPs (Intensive English Programs) may not be able to operate unless their "host" institution has specific ESL-accreditation. Otherwise, the IEP may not be eligible to enrol international students until they gain such certification, which could take over a year.

Continuing its campaign to attract more of the best and brightest international students, the USA has expanded the list of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree programmes that qualify eligible graduates for extended post-study work experience, or "Optional Practical Training".

The US State Department has announced major reforms to tackle abuse of its J-1 Summer Work and Travel Program, which brings over 100,000 students to the US each year. Working in "goods-producing" industries or in a job with primary hours from 10pm to 6am will be banned, since an investigation found the scheme had been abused by wily employers.

Indian education ministers toured community colleges in the US and attended the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) annual convention last week, to gain insight on the American community college sector.

IEFA.org, a financial aid website, reports excellent reception from industry organisations and universities since its re-launch three weeks ago. The site was revamped to offermore functionality in its scholarship search and additional resources. The site's focus is US student traffic, inbound and outbound.