For Noppadol Pringvanich, the Asian financial crisis is not just the stuff of CNN headlines. Like most Stanford students from Thailand, he is supported by the Thai government -- and in the past year, as the value of the baht collapsed, his living allowance has been cut by 30 percent. "Most Thai students are looking for a job to support themselves as long as possible," says Pringvanich, a sophomore and vice president of Stanford's Thai-American Intercultural Society. He's worried about the impact the crisis is having on his family. "My parents are not sure how long they can keep their jobs," he says. "We are trying to adjust. More saving. Less spending."
Asian students account for more than half of all international students on campus. Those from countries hit hardest by currency devaluation and instability this year -- including Indonesia, Malaysia and Korea -- are worried that they might not be able to afford to stay in school. Most PhD students are paid by their departments for research or teaching, says Korean Student Association president Wonjong Rhee, a doctoral candidate in electrical engineering. But master's students are eking out funding from home -- worth about half what it was before the crisis.
Because individual situations vary widely, Stanford is attempting to help the affected students on a case-by-case basis. The financial aid office has stepped in to make up tuition shortfalls for some undergraduates. Graduate students are getting help through the Bechtel International Center or academic departments. I-Center director John Pearson estimates that he has worked with about 50 graduate students to extend tuition payments.
