n Africa Education Review - Factors influencing the participation of undergraduate students from sub-Saharan Africa in higher education in the United States of America

Abstract

This article reports on factors influencing the participation of undergraduate students from sub-Saharan Africa in higher education in the United States of America (US). A literature study investigated aspects of undergraduate study in the US as applied to international students. The policy of the US government and of individual institutions of higher education toward the enrolment of international students, its benefits and procedures for application are outlined. Against this background, an empirical investigation comprising two surveys, which produced descriptive statistical data, was undertaken. Data were gathered by means of two separate questionnaires from a stratified random sample of two-year and four-year private and public colleges in the US as well as from the population of Educational Advising Centers in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings indicated that the primary constraints faced by undergraduate Sub-Saharan African students relate to a lack of funding, an inability to access information and the application process. Based on these findings, brief recommendations to improve practice are suggested.