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Alternate approaches can help attract foreign students to Wisconsin

The goal is not to replace any Wisconsin students but to help make up for the fact there are 20,000 fewer students at UW campuses than there were 10 years ago, thanks to a declining pool of in-state high school students and some attrition in interest in earning a four-year degree. International students make up about 4% of UW enrollment — much of it concentrated at UW-Madison — while neighboring states Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and Iowa report higher shares, in most cases double or more.