CHRYSTAL MCCONNELL/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore Anthi Yiorkouni is one of the many international students who could be affected by the tuition increase.

For over 3,000 international students, the proposed tuition raise for next semester means they'll have to dig deeper to come up with enough money to continue their schooling in the United States.

A possible $1,250 tuition hike will put a strain on a large portion of those students, many of whom pay out-of-state tuition, said Joanne Lagasse-Long, director of the international student program and services.

"For a lot of families, that's a lot of money," she said.

Each international student must prove they have enough money to cover individual costs in the United States. This year, the set amount needed is $22,841, said Lagasse-Long, a total that must be met before a student can receive a visa.

The amount includes everything from tuition, books and health care to the cost of living.

"(I'll have to) find some way to self-support my education," said Taeyoung Lee, a math and economics senior from South Korea. Lee has been thinking about attending graduate school after he graduates in May, but now he is not so sure.

"I came here because of the low education cost," Lee said, adding that he knows others who came here for the same reason.

"They could afford this much, but not more," he said.

However, for international students whose cash reserves are already tight, getting a job is not the easiest solution.

Nihir Sheth, a computer science and business sophomore from India, works in the Information Commons. However, under student visa restrictions, Sheth, like other international students, cannot work more than 20 hours per week on campus or attain any job off campus.

The situation for graduate students is not much better.

Cuiping Chen, a retail and consumer science doctoral student, works at the UA as a teaching and research assistant.

"Our salary isn't that high," he said.

The additional cost of tuition may also prove to be a burden on international students' families.

Andrea Lucman, a junior majoring in English from Jakarta, Indonesia, said the new challenge will be difficult for students whose families have to come up with enough money in a different currency.

Although Lucman believes she will personally be able to sustain a tuition increase, she understands that not everyone will be able to.

"Some of my friends might have to go back," she said.

Motoaki Sakata, a senior agricultural and biosystems engineering major from Japan, said two of his friends already had to go back home to Japan.

"They couldn't pay for it," he said.

Sakata's ability to stay and attend graduate school depends upon his parents, who are helping to support him.

"It's possible, but still it's tough," he said.