You have probably noticed fewer Saudi students in your school lately. If you haven’t, then you probably teach at one of the few North American schools that hasn’t benefitted from the Saudi government scholarship program that was launched in 2005.
Because of the declining price of oil and ensuing bugetary deficits, it announced last year that the program would be overhauled and scaled back. At the beginning of the summer, a vice president of ELS predicted that this summer’s would see a 60 to 70% decline over last summer. Is that what you have seen?
For the grim details, check out the article on Inside Higher Ed.