New dorms in US take shape for more students

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As an increasing number of private high schools in the United States vie for Chinese students, a for-profit academy in Wisconsin has noticed the huge economic footprint of these international students and plans to invest as much as $2.7 million on converting a hotel into a new dormitory for them.

Wisconsin International Academy Inc in Milwaukee purchased the budget hotel with 127 rooms, a restaurant and a banquet center.

Matt Gibson, the academy's principal, told local media he expects to have 150 students at the beginning of the 2017-15 school year, and the new facility will house 20 to 30 students for a summer program.

The academy aims to provide dormitory and shuttle service for Chinese students attending several local high schools, he said.

City officials have approved the planned facility, which will house up to 200 students. The dormitory will have a dining hall, basketball court and outdoor recreational area. Study areas also are proposed.

To get an edge on the stiff competition for international students nationwide, some universities are also investing in better dormitories and facilities.

Last fall, the University of California, Davis, spent $7.9 million on updating its 1,486-square-meter Cuarto Dining Commons, and a new construction project at the Tercero North residence area is set to kick off this fall.

The new facility will provide about 1,200 beds at a construction cost of $88 million, according to UC Davis spokesman Andy Fell.

According to a quarterly report of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as of Jan 15, about 287,260 Chinese students held active US student visas. The report also said Chinese students accounted for 29 percent of all foreign students studying in the United States, which is more than the number of students from elsewhere in North America, Europe, South America, Africa and Australia combined.

About the broadcaster:

Anne Ruisi is an editor at China Daily online with more than 30 years of experience as a newspaper editor and reporter. She has worked at newspapers in the U.S., including The Birmingham News in Alabama and City Newspaper of Rochester, N.Y.