Students from China may be rethinking the value of a U.S. graduate degree.

Ending nearly a decade of double-digit growth, applications from Chinese citizens to U.S. graduate schools declined 5% for the coming academic year amid worries about unstable funding for science programs and tight immigration policies.

Debra Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, says budget spats in Washington have thrown into question the funding of academic programs that rely heavily on federal dollars, such as science and engineering. Students pursuing advanced degrees in so-called STEM fields -- science, technology, engineering and math -- often receive multiyear financial-aid packages in the form of fellowships, but many schools can't guarantee that long-term assistance now because of the uncertainty of federal funding.

fellowship：奖学金　　　　

International applications to graduate programs in life sciences, such as biology and agriculture, fell 7% for the coming academic year, after a 1% decline in the previous year. The Council of Graduate Schools' report, based on application data from 276 U.S. schools, also found that international-application growth slowed for programs in the physical and earth sciences and engineering.

Increased competition from schools in Canada and Australia, which generally have less restrictive immigration policies than the U.S., are adding to the pressure, as is the emergence of strong academic alternatives in Asia.

emergence：出现，浮现，发生

Waning interest from China dragged down overall international graduate-school application growth to 1%, the smallest gain in eight years.

drag down：拖累，贬低　　　　

The results raise an alarm for schools, which have relied on demand from international students -- particularly those from China -- to offset lackluster interest among U.S. citizens in some programs. Chinese students comprised roughly one-third of all international graduate students in 2011. Nearly 15% of graduate students enrolled in U.S. programs in fall 2011 were international, according to the Council of Graduate Schools.

lackluster：无光泽的，暗淡的　　　　

It is too early to know if this year's numbers signal a longer trend, administrators warn, but they are taking note. Should declines in international applicants continue, 'some schools will have to rethink their strategies about whether it makes sense for doctoral education to be offered as widely as [it is],' said Deba Dutta, associate provost and dean of the graduate college at the University of Illinois -- Urbana-Champaign.

dean：院长，系主任　　　　provost：教务长

That school was especially hard hit, as applications from Chinese students fell by more than 15% from last year, to 7,229, and total international applications dropped 13% as of last week. Applications from China make up more than half of all international graduate applications at Illinois.

Science, technology, engineering and math programs aren't the only ones with cooling demand. At the University of California, Los Angeles, international applications fell 13% for graduate business programs and 11% for graduate education programs after both hit five-year highs last year.

Some business programs in the U.S., meanwhile, are seeing greater interest from abroad. Specialized master's programs, one-year degrees in subjects including finance and accounting, have found particular popularity among younger Chinese students seeking a competitive edge back home, though such programs make up a small share of U.S. graduate schools.

Applications from Brazilian students to U.S. graduate programs jumped 24% this year after a recent push by the Brazilian government to boost the share of its citizens with advanced degrees from U.S. schools. Yet those gains come off a relatively small base: Brazilian students comprise about 1% of all international students enrolled in U.S. graduate programs.

Applications from Indian students increased 20% this year, though Ms. Stewart said application volume from that country was particularly volatile. Year-on-year changes in the past eight years have ranged from a 23% increase in 2006 to a 9% decline in 2009.

volatile：不稳定的，挥发性的　　　　recommit to：重新提出　　　　

Still, to protect themselves, Mr. Dutta said, schools must recommit to attracting underrepresented groups, including women and racial minorities. 'This should be a wake-up call,' he said.