Few foreign-educated students have the luxury of embarking on a course of study that doesn’t quickly lead to a marketable credential. Time is money for these students, who are often struggling to support a family in a low-wage, survival job.

The same is, of course, true for many American-born community college students. But one important factor sets many foreign-educated students apart from other community college students: they have either already earned a college degree in their country of origin or have accumulated college credits at a foreign university toward a college degree, and many have established careers in their home country. It is essential that your college help students build on that base rather than start all over again from scratch.