GW officials have yet to subscribe the University to a new federal tracking system that keeps tabs on foreign students. The system, which was instated in response to Sept. 11, will force all colleges and universities participating in foreign exchange programs to report students’ activities to Immigration Naturalization Services.

University officials said they are “confident” GW will meet the Jan. 30 deadline. They also said that the University has not registered because the government is still working out “technical problems” with the program. The system is set to start tracking students Jan. 1, giving schools about a month-long grace period to sign up, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

“GW will apply within the appropriate time frame,” said Susan D’Amico, associate director of international services. “Established institutions that have been diligent in following the law should not encounter problems with the approval process.”

D’Amico said GW has concerns about the method universities and INS will be exchanging required information.

The computerized program, Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, will trace students temporarily staying in the United States on visas. The need for a system arose from the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 because one of the terrorists involved in the bombing was on a student visa, INS spokesperson Chris Bentley said.

Bentley said the INS developed pilot projects to fulfill a government mandate, but it was not until after the Sept. 11 attacks that Congress passed the Patriot Act, which issued $36 million for the full implementation of the system on Oct. 15.

One of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers was also in the United States on a student visa, which had expired.

Officials are currently conducting studies estimating how much money SEVIS will cost the government annually. Universities and foreign students will pay user fees to fund the system.

The 1996 federal law that called for the database mandated that each foreign student be charged $95 to pay for the system, according to an Oct. 26 Chronicle of Higher Education article.

Some foreign students said the tracking system impedes upon personal freedoms and the fee is unfair.

“This is the land of opportunity,” said junior Mehdi Derdouri, who is on a visa from Algeria. “You can’t just come here and then get all these people doing background checks on you and you have to pay for it.”

He said he is “totally against” a fee because most foreign students who study here “don’t have that much money.”

But Derdouri said he understands the need for security as using the information for its records.

Sophomore Anna Belkina, a Russian student studying in the United States on a green card, disagreed with the system, saying the government uses the invalid excuse of security after Sept. 11 to track students.

“That excuse could technically be used to justify anything . including (the government tapping into) e-mails and chat rooms,” she said. “It’s a new McCarthyism.”

Some students said they understand the need for extra security after Sept. 11.

“I understand why they’re doing it. They’re just taking precautions,” said senior Nishant Abbr, who is here on a visa from India. “It’s better to be safe (in order to) avoid another (Sept. 11).”

But he said he “obviously” doesn’t want to pay a fee.

Officials said that because of the high number of international students the University will continue to provide whatever monetary funds are necessary for them to study at GW.

“By supporting the needs of individuals involved in international educational exchange, we help to promote a culturally diverse learning environment,” D’Amico said.

Director of Admissions Kathryn Napper said there were 1,009 foreign applicants for the 2002-03 academic year. Although numbers have dropped since Sept. 11, GW’s freshman class includes students from at least 30 different countries.

About 7,400 schools are eligible for SEVIS and 3,337 have already been approved or have applied for approval, according to the INS.

“Most schools with a sizable population, including GW, have deferred joining SEVIS until the later part of the application process,” D’Amico said. “This is because the government is still refining the technological complexities required for (mass) filing.”

She said the program has not been finalized and GW is waiting until it is perfected to enroll.

Any institutions that fail to meet the deadline won’t be allowed to participate in foreign student programs, Bentley said.

Universities enrolled in SEVIS must enter international students’ information, including their names, addresses, class attendance records and work authorizations, into the system. The system will report all information to INS, ensuring that students are not abusing their visas, Bentley said.

If students drop below 15 credit hours, they are in violation of their student visa status, he noted.

Although GW hasn’t enrolled yet, the University is following old procedures that comply with INS regulations.

“GW maintains records both on its systems and in files based on federal record-keeping regulations,” D’Amico said. “In addition, we provide information, advice and guidance to students to assist them with the paperwork that is required by the federal government.”

-Julie Gordon contributed to this report.