UMBC has about 900 international students; 45a0 are undergraduates and 450 are enrolled in graduate programs. Students come from about 80 different countries, including China, India, Africa, and Saudi Arabia. "An international student is any student from another country who is at UMBC with a student visa," clarifies Arlene Wergin, Director of the International Services Office.

Undergraduate international students are not eligible for federal financial aid and are obligated to pay full out-of-state tuition. However, they may receive merit scholarships, which are very competitive. By law, they must be full-time students and are not permitted to work off campus. Despite facing more rules and regulations than American students, foreign students still flock the UMBC campus.

UMBC has been a diverse community for a long time. "Part of our diversity can be attributed to our location on the East Coast; we have growing populations of different types of people," says Sara Gardenghi, Assistant Director for Student Services and the Main Advisor for International Students at the English Language Center. The Baltimore-Washington area contains many international organizations, including the World Bank, that many foreign students view as potential employers.

"UMBC has a comfortable environment, the weather is also nice," says Miao Wang, a second-semester freshman from China and a financial economics major. When asked about what attracted him to study at UMBC, Bibo Zhang, a sophomore from China and also a financial economics major says, "A small campus provides better communication options." He also admits that being a basketball fan, the men's basketball team also attracted him to UMBC. Both Wang and Zhang admitted that they have family in the U.S. who recommended UMBC as a great school.

A common answer to what attracts international students is word of mouth. "UMBC has a global reach. It is has a phenomenal snowball effect," says Wergin. Put more simply, when the number of foreign students enrolled increases, more foreign students are attracted to the school. The large number of foreign students at UMBC helps potential newcomers feel at home. For example, "[Because of UMBC's diversity] no employee can look at a student on campus and make assumptions with regards to whether English is their second language or not," Gardenghi explains. Hence, UMBC's proximity to Baltimore and Washington, recognized diversity, and strong academic reputation have made it a hot school for international students.

When asked what UMBC could do better to cater to the foreign student population, Miao Wang says, "UMBC could increase scholarships for international students and professors could be a little better on helping students deal with the culture shock." Wang has never personally felt uncomfortable, but she has observed it. Due to the amount of money international students pay, they are under much more pressure to succeed; every extra semester is thousands of dollars. Apart from this, being away from home is also a stress factor. Despite all these challenges, there is one place on campus that is their home away from home: The English Language Center.

Gardenghi also serves as UMBC's Designated School Official (D.S.O). Her duties include acting as an Immigration Advisor, Academic Advisor, and Personal Advisor. She assists foreign students in their pre-arrival, housing, banking, getting their driver's licenses, and going to doctor's appointments. "You are like their mother," I joked. "I really am; I know a lot about the students," she replied.

UMBC's English Learning Center (ELC) also provides a pre-enrollment preparatory program for foreign students who are not confident with their English language skills. Those proficient in English can skip this stage and directly enroll as an undergraduate. The ELC also provides graduate-level writing tutors and any other type of tutoring necessary. For example, if a student needs assistance with his or her pronunciation, the ELC will make a class for them. Many foreign students have stated that UMBC's ELC attracted them to the school. In fact, agencies such as the Saudi Arabian Embassy sponsor students to go to UMBC because UMBC's international students are offered English training in preparation for their enrollment into the university.

Most of UMBC's international students are enrolled in the university's graduate program. International graduate students are able to obtain teaching and research assistant positions which can be helpful when footing high enrollment costs. TAs and RAs receive money for tuition and fees, as well as a monthly stipend. Lina Martinez, an international graduate assistant at the ELC, is working on a Ph.D. in public policy. A native of Colombia, she says what attracted her to UMBC was the joint academic and research program.

According to Wergin, "Most research universities are so diverse because their faculty collaborates with other researchers abroad, drawing international graduate students. The nature of our diverse university really is international as opposed to a small liberal arts college." UMBC has a large percentage of international faculty members who are in the states on work visa; some teach and research and some are just involved in research. Many UMBC faculty members also go on to teach abroad. Currently, there are about 140 international faculty and researchers at UMBC.

Domestic students looking to get involved with the international community are encouraged to contact the ELC or get involved with the Conversation Partners program. Lina Martinez coordinates Conversation Partners, a program in which UMBC students are paired with a non-native speaker who hopes to improve his or her English. The International Services Office includes faculty and staff ready to assist domestic students interested in studying abroad. As Gardenghi explains, "UMBC has excellent standards and great [international] programs for those who are high achievers. There is no barrier for diversity."