evidence: Over one million international students contributed $40.1 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2022-2023 academic year, marking a significant 19 percent increase compared to the previous academic year, according to data from NAFSA: Association for International Educators in Washington, DC. Even though the economic benefit remains below the peak of nearly $40.5 billion set in the 2018-2019 academic year, this is the second consecutive year of recorded growth following the negative effect of the pandemic that began in March 2020. The number of international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities rebounded from lows hit during the pandemic, rising 12 percent to 1,057,188 in 2022-2023, an increase of more than 100,000 students according to the Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education (IIE). [...] International students make contributions not only through the tuition they pay to U.S. higher education institutions but also through their spending on accommodations, transportation, food, and consumer goods while they are living in the U.S.