The answer is to cope with state budget cuts.
The number of international students at U.S. colleges exceeded 1 million for the first time last year.
When public colleges are strapped for cash, they turn to international students to fill the void.
For every 10% drop in the level of funding states provided to their public universities between 1996 and 2012, public research universities increased their enrollment of foreign students by 12% and the colleges that spend the most on their students boosted international enrollment by 17%.
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