mondoboston.com

Posted by Pam on August 18th, 2008 in Life in Boston

This fall, an unprecedented number of foreign freshmen - 444 - will begin classes at Boston University, a 39 percent jump from last year and the largest increase the university has ever seen, reports The Boston Globe.  Foreign students will represent about 11 percent of the freshmen class, compared to the usual average of about 7 percent. (The national average of foreign student enrollment is about 1 percent.) The huge increase in international students is part of BU’s strategy for sustaining itself as the University prepares for a  projected dip in the number of American high school graduates in coming years.

Boston University is not the only school to see an increase in foreign students. Across Massachusetts, between 2003 and 2006, the percentage of foreign freshmen in universities grew by an average of 2.6 percent.

Reasons for the increase, according to experts: a weaker dollar and more international recruitment, including more discussion of offering financial aid packages to foreign students. Some of the biggest countries for recruitment are China and India, where a burgeoning middle-class has made finding local colleges and universities much more competitive.

Will the huge increase in foreign students effect the Boston real estate market? It’s likely. Some parents of foreign students may buy “kiddie condos” for their children while they’re attending school — especially as the dollar remains low and housing prices flatten out in many neighborhoods. Some wealthier parents may also decide to buy small apartments for themselves for frequent visits to see the kids, or even, perhaps, to take the jump into buying investment properties. Finally, some students who attend Boston University are likely to stay in town after graduation, inevitably plunking down a little change for local real estate as they filter into jobs in the local high-tech, pharmaceutical and medical sectors.