Many people in higher education are concerned about the declining numbers of foreign students attending New England colleges and universities. Restrictions on student visas since the September 11 terrorist attacks, along with increasing competition from higher education institutions across the country and around the globe, have both contributed to the decline. While New England higher education and economic leaders work to re-assert the region's magnetism abroad, there is also a need to refocus on the educational status of the 1.4 million foreign immigrants who already call New England home. According to a 2004 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, immigration is driving the region's population growth and profoundly affecting the region's economic and demographic character. The first step to economic success for New England's immigrants is to obtain enough fluency in English to communicate easily. Language, however, is only one of the obstacles facing immigrants in American higher education. They are in unfamiliar territory and need special assistance with such areas as admissions, financial aid, study skills, and career guidance. The author asserts that there is an obvious need for more ESOL programs, as well as programs designed intentionally to bridge identified education gaps and better prepare college faculty to address the needs of foreign-born adult students.