UW-River Falls enrolls dozens of Brazil students

RIVER FALLS, Wis. - The number of foreign exchange students from Brazil has increased significantly at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Nearly 200 Brazilian students are studying at the western Wisconsin university this year, more than any other campus in the UW System.

Top students can apply for the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program, which offers scholarships in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, often called STEM. If selected, the students can study abroad for a year with their , essentially funded by the Brazilian government.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press says River Falls administrators credit the array of STEM course offerings at the university and the schools focus on agriculture. Brazil's scholarship program requires students to return to their home country for a time after studying abroad.