ABSTRACT
The U.S. has one of the largest international student populations worldwide, with approximately 800,000 students seeking education in the U.S. during the 2012-13 academic year, a 7.2% increase from the previous year (Institute of International Education, 2013). Approximately 4% of these students are in higher-level education (i.e. education beyond high school, including bachelor’s degrees). Eight percent of these international students come from one of the 22 Arab states in the Middle East and North Africa region. For example, Saudi Arabia alone sent 44,566 students for the 2012-13 academic year, followed by Kuwait with 5,115, Egypt with 2,601, and United Arab Emirates with 2,256 students. Some of the reasons for the U.S. attracting these international students are academic excellence, various educational opportunities, cutting-edge technology, long-term career prospects, and flexibility of educational programs. In addition, Arab international students may come to the U.S. for political or personal reasons, or for a degree or training that may not be available in their country of origin. Although some may stay and work after graduation, others will return home (Al-Hattami & Al-Ahdal, 2014; Norris, 2011).
