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Many students are enrolling in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs.

In December 2011, the U.S. Department of State launched the NeXXt Scholars Initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to give young women in other countries the opportunity to increase their involvement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

An F or M student who wants to enroll in a science, technology, math or engineering (STEM) program of study could consider studying in one of the community colleges located around the United States.

When Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano launched Study in the States in September 2011, one goal was “to encourage the ‘best and brightest’ international students to study and … (learn about expanded post-graduate opportunities) in the United States.” International students benefit local and national economies as well as overall classroom experience and learning opportunities on campuses across the country. Choosing a university, as well as deciding to go to a different country, is complicated. New information from the U.S. government will now begin to simplify this complex process.

In an effort to continue to attract the best and brightest international students to study in the United States, today DHS added more science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) designated-degree programs to the list of qualifying student visa extensions.

In March 2011, President Barack Obama announced his new “100,000 Strong in the Americas” initiative where the “goal is to increase higher education exchanges between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean to 100,000 each year in each direction.” The program aims to “foster region-wide prosperity through greater international exchange of students” to foster leadership and innovation in a new generation.

Echoing some of the sentiments discussed on Study in the States in the past, Gary Shapiro, the president and chief executive officer of the Consumer Electronics Association, wrote an opinion piece in Forbes in which he discussed “the training of tens of thousands of foreign graduate students in sciences, math, engineering and information technology at top American universities.” Shapiro expresses his opinion that the United States should “seek… a return on the investment by incorporating them into our workforce (instead of sending) them home once their education is complete.”