Zanzenburger posted... I worked for a university that recruited tons of international students.
Most of the students simply come from rich families. There are very few scholarships that pay for international student expenses. Their own countries don't tend to offer them and the US certainly doesn't. These students self-pay.
We tend to see the upper-level income families that bring their students over here. In every country, no matter how poor, you will have families that have more than others.
For example, we get a lot of students from Central and South America. My own family is from Central America and I know how poor those countries are. But certain cities have people with surplus that can afford the international education.
Another thing I've noticed is that international students are more likely to pay ahead 1, 2, or even 4 years of education. Their families have that much money that they can afford to do so. By doing so, they also get significant discounts as it's guaranteed money for the schools.
Just out of curiosity, what kind of jobs can allow you to obtain more than the average population? The average doctor probably earns barely above the median salary. Are countries like mainland china and areas in Central America, allow stock trading or some type of investing? Is that how the average person is able to obtain a surplus? It just blows my mind, please educate me more.