evidence: "Higher education is one of America's strongest export sectors," Hayes said, while displaying a chart on U.S. education exports. [...] More than 1 million international students studied at U.S. institutions during the 2018-19 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education and NAFSA: Association of International Educators, two nonprofits dedicated to international education. The two organizations reported that those international students contributed more than $40 billion to the U.S. economy during the year. Experts said higher education can be considered an export because international students pay their tuition and living expenses to colleges and universities using money from abroad.