Navigating a Shifting Policy Landscape: English Language Proficiency Test Exemptions in U.S. Higher Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Linguistic Justice and Policy Implications for Multi-lingual Learners

Abstract

We investigate how the emerging trend of English Language Proficiency (ELP) test exemption policies shapes the admission experiences of international students in U.S. higher education. The study highlights the tension between the equity-focused narratives surrounding these exemption policies and the lived realities of students navigating their implementation. Drawing on interviews with eight students and four institutional stakeholders, the study explores institutional assumptions about students’ English proficiency, inconsistencies in the application of ELP exemption criteria across institutions, and competing institutional interests. While some students reported a streamlined admission process, others reported they felt confused and excluded. This paper emphasizes the importance of aligning policy intentions with consistent, transparent implementation and advocates for standardized ELP exemption policies in international student admissions.

Authors

• Gertrude Arthur, University of Missouri

• Edwin Nii Bonney, Clemson University

• Augustine Owusu Achiaw, Clemson University

• Kafayat Amoke Adesina, Clemson University