President Trump's latest executive order on immigration reforms is actually good news for Indians studying in the United States: This is the clear message delivered to Indian students planning to go to America by University of South Florida (USF) Vice President Roger Brindley.

Brindley told Indian students as well as education counselors that "the emphasis on the most highly skilled workers could actually have the potential to benefit foreign graduates of American colleges." Brindley highlighted the fact that the United States needs international students to address the skill gaps.

The fact is," he explained, "that not enough Americans are graduating from technical masters courses such as Business Analytics and Information Systems (BAIS) and Computer Science."

The possible reasons for this range from a general lack of interest in math and science to the high burden of debt that most American students carry with them after four years of a Bachelor's programme, making employment more appealing than starting on a master's degree.

Speaking to students in Delhi, the USF faculty members pointed out that the median annual salary for students graduating with a masters' degree from USF's College of Engineering or the College of Business has been $70,000 (Rs 44.7 lakh) and $65,000 (Rs 41.6 lakh), a year, respectively - which is above the salary range stipulated by the new guideline.

These, in fact, are the skilled applicants, which the US intends to attract. Almost 10 percent of USF's 50,000 students are international students from 140 countries, with India heading the list.

The vast majority of Indian students choose programmes at the College of Engineering and the College of Management, with Computer Science and BAIS being the most popular choices.

This article was written by Roger Brindley (Vice President at University of South Florida).

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