TEGUCIGALPA – In an event to commemorate International Education Week, U.S. Ambassador James D. Nealon praised the benefits of studying abroad, and noted that once again, Honduras is in first place in Central America in sending students to study at U.S. colleges and universities. Ambassador Nealon participated in the release of the 2015 “Open Doors” Report on international education during a visit to the Instituto Hondureño de Cultura Interamericana, where advisors assist Honduran students interested in pursuing higher education in the United States.
In the 2014/2015 school year, 1,760 students were enrolled in higher education institutions in the United States, a slight increase from the 2013/2014 total. Of the 1,760 students, 1,285 are pursuing undergraduate degrees, and nearly 400 are attending two-year community college programs. The Houston Community College System is the leading institution in accepting Honduran students. In 2011, President Obama made increasing the number of students from Latin America studying in the United States and the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America a priority initiative for his administration.
“For Honduras, the report shows -once again- that this country is in first place in Central America in sending its students to the United States and is in the top ten for all of Latin America. This is great news for Honduras and for us. For five straight years, Honduras has shown growth in this area. This year’s total is 30 percent higher than the number of Hondurans enrolled in the 2010/11 academic year,” Ambassador Nealon said of the report. “These students are returning to Honduras armed with the knowledge and experiences they need to contribute to this country’s future -as doctors or engineers, as teachers or scientists, in business or the arts.”
IHCI and the Centro Cultural Sampedrano work with the Embassy and EducationUSA to provide expert advisors who provide support for students across Honduras to prepare for college entrance exams and to make informed choices about their education. Interested students and parents can learn more by contacting either CCS or IHCI directly, or by visiting the EducationUSA Honduras Facebook page.
