Although international students are already at a financial disadvantage compared with other students-they have higher travel expenses and pay the out-of-state tuition rate-UW-Madison will soon implement a new fee for these students to cover the costs of the Student Exchange Visitor Information System, an electronic system for tracking international students.
The post-Sept. 11, 2001 SEVIS system is part of a federal government mandate which requires universities nationwide to adhere to strict new guidelines for keeping track of international students for reasons of terrorism prevention.
The fee is $50 per semester for both the fall and spring sessions, and international students taking summer courses will have a $25 SEVIS system fee. The charge will begin appearing on tuition bills next fall.
Some international students at UW-Madison said they do not agree with the decision that holds them responsible for funding SEVIS.
\The SEVIS system is to protect Americans and we think this system considers us as potential terrorists,"" said UW-Madison graduate student Hongquan Jiang, who is from China. ""We are considered criminals. But we accept it because we have to pay it.""
UW-Madison graduate student Krupakar Subramanian, from India, also said he disagrees with the SEVIS fee.
""It is too much money,"" Subramanian said. ""I feel [the SEVIS system] is keeping track of me. Not only am I a suspect here, but I have to pay for it too.""
Judy Brodd, interim director of International Student Services at UW-Madison, said although the university regrets charging the additional fee, it is a paramount step in maintaining a balanced budget.
""The students are not happy about the new fee, but then again neither are we,"" Brodd said. ""It is never a happy circumstance to be charging a new fee for our students and we wish that we wouldn't have to do it. But we feel these are challenging fiscal times and we need a significant increase in services.""
Following these new guidelines from the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, UW-Madison International Student Services faced increased costs. The revenue from the fee will offset the increased cost associated with the implementation of the federally mandated SEVIS system.
""There are more people resources in the sense that we will be adding international student advisors,"" Brodd said. ""We will be adding additional data entry services. There are technological costs that are ongoing.""
Brodd says that with the implementation of this new fee, she fears international students may feel unwelcome on the UW-Madison campus.
""Although we are charging this fee, we do not want students to feel that they are not welcomed and that they are not being supported. We feel that this [fee] is an absolutely essential way to be able to serve them,"" Brodd said.
