The University of Wisconsin is again covering the costs of the federally mandated Student and Exchange Visitor Information System this year rather than pushing the fee solely onto international students.
While last year the university used a one-time gift donation to cover the program’s costs, officials had to reallocate funds from the state budget this year, according to UW system Vice Chancellor for Administration Darrell Bazzell.
The UW-Madison budget received cuts of approximately $23.5 million last year, with the state cutting an additional $15 million this year. Since the amount cut was lower than last year, the university was able to reallocate the extra to the SEVIS fund.
This year, SEVIS will cost UW about $246,000, which receives no federal funding. When SEVIS was first introduced, a proposal for international students to foot the majority of the bill was discussed. The UW administration, however, determined that the cost should come from the general budget, at least for the time being.
“When there was talk that international students might have to pay a fee as a result of the SEVIS program, there was a major outcry among the international student body,” Bazzell said. “On this campus we really take into account feedback we receive from our students and faculty, and as a result we were able to work something out to cover the fees.”
The program was implemented in 2003 at national colleges and universities in an effort by the federal government to regulate international students, staff and visitors with a temporary visa. It allows the Department of Homeland Security to keep a closer eye on revised visa statuses of foreigners in the United States.
Although there has been a visa recording system for international students and visitors since 1952, the accuracy of up-to-date visa statuses are more strictly enforced after Sept. 11, 2001. Changes in residency and college transfers are now promptly monitored among the international student body and staff.
Since UW has so far been able to cover the fees — which pay for employee salaries, updating systems and new computer software — international students and staff might not be discouraged from choosing to study or teach here.
“This year we have received about 800 applicants from abroad,” said Papa Sarr, director of the International Student Services. “That number is pretty close to the number of applicants we have received last year. I don’t think the SEVIS program interferes with students’ decisions to study here.”
That may change in the future, however. The Department of Homeland Security has enacted a $100 fee from some international students and visitors obtaining a visa. This fee, however, became effective Sept. 1, 2004, so it will not yet affect the majority of students attending classes this fall.
Amy Shih, an international student from Taiwan, believes that a fee would not affect the number of international student applicants.
“International students already pay a lot more than other [in-state] students,” Shih said. “This semester I paid almost $10,000, so an additional $100 or $50 fee would not affect my decision to come here. I came to this campus when I was young and I really liked it. It is a nice campus and a beautiful place, and that is why I chose to come here.”
