About NAFSA
NAFSA's Principles for the Administration of Sponsored Student Programs
These principles were developed in 1986 by an advisory committee
comprising representatives of the international educational agencies
addressed in this document. The statement defines the components of the
sponsored student program. NAFSA published another edition of the
Principles in 1992, revised and updated by Kevin Schieffer and Helen
Zuercher.
The foreign student who seeks his or her educational program in the United States with the support of a government agency, foundation, or private body is one of an increasing number of sponsored students in our colleges and universities. More than 20 percent of all foreign students in the United States fall in this category, and there are many others who have important components of sponsorship in their financial arrangements.
There are special relationships and responsibilities that are an important element of any sponsored program and they warrant careful attention. The purpose of this statement of principles is (1) to define each element of the network administering the sponsored student program; (2) to describe the roles and primary responsibilities of the various partners in that network; and (3) to develop acceptance of commonly shared principles for the administration of sponsored student programs. The many partners in sponsored student programs include foreign government officials, U.S. government personnel, representatives of sending organizations, the staff of program agencies, faculty members and administrators at U.S. institutions, and the sponsored students themselves. These principles establish broad guidelines for all involved. Acceptance of the principles should facilitate and strengthen communication and working relationships among the partners and should contribute to the accomplishment of international development goals through quality educational and training experiences.
The primary objective of most sponsored student programs is to further a nation's economic plan and contribute to its educational resources. The individual student becomes one instrument of that development process insofar as he or she achieves the educational or training objectives outlined in the program plan. When a student is selected, the sponsor makes him or her aware of the program goals and the sponsor's expectations both during the educational or training program and upon its completion. Policies, guidelines, regulations, and procedures should be developed to encourage and facilitate the student's completing the academic degree or the specialized training and returning home to use the acquired education as quickly as possible.
There are some scholarship programs based more on the student's merit than on the formation of an integral part of a specific development plan. A few of these do not require a particular plan of study, but all are characterized by the sponsor's expectation that the student will return to his or her home country upon completion of the program.
Sponsored student programs can range in duration from a few weeks to several years, but they are all characterized by an underlying long-range program and a specific educational objective for which the education or training is funded. An individual program represents an important commitment of financial resources for the sponsor and of time, human resources, and personal aspirations for the student. The roles of the sponsor, the program agency, the educational and training institution, and the individual student must be understood as parts of an intricate network of responsibility for achieving program objectives. As these principles are applied, all parties have one overriding goal: to support the educational experience of the sponsored student. The commitment, flexibility, and sensitivity of all partners are necessary if this common goal is to be met.
The foreign student who seeks his or her educational program in the United States with the support of a government agency, foundation, or private body is one of an increasing number of sponsored students in our colleges and universities. More than 20 percent of all foreign students in the United States fall in this category, and there are many others who have important components of sponsorship in their financial arrangements.
There are special relationships and responsibilities that are an important element of any sponsored program and they warrant careful attention. The purpose of this statement of principles is (1) to define each element of the network administering the sponsored student program; (2) to describe the roles and primary responsibilities of the various partners in that network; and (3) to develop acceptance of commonly shared principles for the administration of sponsored student programs. The many partners in sponsored student programs include foreign government officials, U.S. government personnel, representatives of sending organizations, the staff of program agencies, faculty members and administrators at U.S. institutions, and the sponsored students themselves. These principles establish broad guidelines for all involved. Acceptance of the principles should facilitate and strengthen communication and working relationships among the partners and should contribute to the accomplishment of international development goals through quality educational and training experiences.
The primary objective of most sponsored student programs is to further a nation's economic plan and contribute to its educational resources. The individual student becomes one instrument of that development process insofar as he or she achieves the educational or training objectives outlined in the program plan. When a student is selected, the sponsor makes him or her aware of the program goals and the sponsor's expectations both during the educational or training program and upon its completion. Policies, guidelines, regulations, and procedures should be developed to encourage and facilitate the student's completing the academic degree or the specialized training and returning home to use the acquired education as quickly as possible.
There are some scholarship programs based more on the student's merit than on the formation of an integral part of a specific development plan. A few of these do not require a particular plan of study, but all are characterized by the sponsor's expectation that the student will return to his or her home country upon completion of the program.
Sponsored student programs can range in duration from a few weeks to several years, but they are all characterized by an underlying long-range program and a specific educational objective for which the education or training is funded. An individual program represents an important commitment of financial resources for the sponsor and of time, human resources, and personal aspirations for the student. The roles of the sponsor, the program agency, the educational and training institution, and the individual student must be understood as parts of an intricate network of responsibility for achieving program objectives. As these principles are applied, all parties have one overriding goal: to support the educational experience of the sponsored student. The commitment, flexibility, and sensitivity of all partners are necessary if this common goal is to be met.
