The decreasing value of U.S. currency in comparison to foreign currency will make attending the University more reasonable for international students.

“If the dollar is weak against foreign currency, it makes education more affordable,” said Keith Marshall, Associate Provost for Enrollment Management.

He said the dollar and its performance in comparison to foreign currency will definitely affect how affordable an American education is for international students.

The state of the American economy itself does not have much effect on whether international students can come here, but the comparison between the U.S. and home country economies does, Marshall said.

Julie Misa, Director of International Student and Scholar Services, said international students come from their countries with the funding to go here. It matters how strong the dollar is in comparison to their home countries’ currencies, she added.

According to the Office of Admissions Web site, the estimated summary of expenses for international freshmen for the 2008-09 school year is $38,498 to $42,650. For residents, it is $24,714 to $28,866. The summary for non-residents is the same as for international students, but international students cannot receive financial aid.

Federal and state financial aid programs require recipients to be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident of the United States, according to the Office of Student Financial Aid Web site. International students are eligible for institutional aid programs provided by the University, outside scholarships from private sources and private loans, although in most cases, a U.S. citizen must serve as a co-signer.

Yoojin Park, senior in LAS, is an international student from South Korea. She said she decided to come to the University after attending a college fair in Boston and picking up a brochure.

Park said she wanted to study psychology, so she looked up rankings and got information.

“The program here is really good,” she said.

Park also said it is expensive to attend the University as an international student, but when she applied, she already knew she could not receive financial aid.

She said the decrease in the value of the dollar does not make tuition seem any less expensive.

“It doesn’t feel that way,” Park said.

However, she said she no longer thinks about getting a job in the U.S. when she graduates. It has become harder to get a job here, so Park plans to go back to Korea for employment.

“That’s one thing that’s different from the past,” she said.

Marshall said the number of international students who attend the University has been steadily increasing for a number of years. Enrollment of freshman international students for Fall 2008 was 714 out of 7,299 total. As far as Fall 2009 goes, there is no definite projection for incoming international students.

“It’s a guessing game at this point,” Marshall said.