Asia: U.S. institutions respond to economic crisis
The economic crisis in Asia has placed many Asian students studying in the United States in financial peril, and some American institutions are responding with plans for keeping those students from having to leave school.

The University of Denver has deferred tuition for 176 students from nations whose economies have lost a third or more of their value since September, including Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand. According to the university, loss of purchasing power of the currencies from these countries means that stu-dents would have to pay 60 percent to 200 percent more for education than U.S. students pay.

The George Washington University is offering Asian students a deferred payment plan whereby the students pay $1,000 now, with the balance due on March 4. Several institutions in Illinois are considering tuition deferments, loans, and new scholarships for Asian students affected by the economic crisis.

(Sources: University of Denver news release, 1/13/98; Chicago Sun-Times, 1/14/98; The Denver Post, 1/14/98 and 1/16/98; Rocky Mountain News, 1/15/98; The George Washington University news release, 1/20/98.