Brazilian international student college experiences after a partnership high school program: A single institution case study

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, American higher education institutions (HEIs) have experienced an increasing enrollment of international students. However, new enrollment for international students has declined for three consecutive years (IIE, 2019). Universities have taken proactive steps in their recruitment efforts. In order to attract international students, many institutions have established international partnership programs as a part of institutions’ internationalization process. This study investigated a group of Brazilian international students’ college experiences after graduating from a partnership high school program. In addition, this study examined administrators’ perspectives on this partnership program focusing on the improvement of services for international students. This qualitative study used a single institution case study research design based on the constructivism paradigm to explore a selected group of international students’ experiences after a dual diploma high school program offered at a large public institution in the southwest. Following Tinto (1975) and Rose-Redwood’s (2013) theories as the conceptual framework, this study utilized a set of unique interview protocols that contained twenty questions to investigate international students’ college experience during their integration processes as well as administrators’ perspectives on the best practice for international student services. Results were presented in the qualitative analysis.