This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Learn English well enough to pass Psych 101, then enroll in college classes in the United States.

That's the promise from college prep programs to international students seeking an American degree.

"Study in the USA at a top U.S. university," one such program from Kaplan, Inc. boasts on its website.

Now, four years after joining with the Kaplan program to recruit foreign students, the University of Utah is taking itself off the list.

Students who earned an English as a second language certificate, then entered the school's lecture halls, often still needed more time to absorb lessons and pass exams, said Ruth Watkins, senior vice president for academic affairs.

"It was difficult for us to control the quality of the student," Watkins said. "It's unfair to anyone to recruit a student who's not prepared to succeed here academically."

A spokeswoman for Kaplan, Inc. declined comment. And the U.'s Global Pathways office, which has overseen the program, did not respond to messages.

Shifting away from international campaigns, U. recruiters have focused instead on Idaho, California and Texas, citing high interest among students in those states.

It's one strategy to fill an uptick in open spots. Utah's colleges are coping with a dip in enrollment following an exodus of Mormon missionaries in January 2013.

The LDS Church months earlier announced that men as young as 18 years old and women as young as 19 years old could join the church's global proslytizing force. That's down from the former minimum ages of 19 for men and 21 for women.

The U. is preparing to restore the dip with about 400 returned missionary students on campus in January, Watkins said.

Kaplan and the University of Utah joined forces with English language prep classes for students in 2010. The year-long program targeted students with freshman language and study courses they could count toward a bachelor's. Students who passed the program could then go straight into their second year, choosing among 75 majors.

Students were "guaranteed acceptance to the university, as long as they meet the requirements and successfully complete the course."

It's unclear how many students enrolled at the University of Utah and how many have graduated in recent years.

That language-course pathway to an American education is still in place at Northeastern University in Boston, Pace University in New York City, Merrimack College in Massachusetts and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

U. officials stress they aren't abandoning their efforts to recruit internationally, but instead will work other ways to attract foreign students.

"I think we will try to use our own recruitment staff," Watkins said.

In Utah's public network of colleges, about 8,060 students — or 4.5 percent — come from "foreign locations," according to the most recent data available. About 24,600 students — or 14 percent — are coming from out of state.

About four in five students in the state's network of public colleges are from Utah.

But the number of out-of state or international students at the state's public schools has fluctuated over the past decade, state higher education officials note. Since 2004, the proportion at the University of Utah has grown 10 percent. At Weber State University, it's declined by about 16 percent during the same time period.

Not all universities require proof of language proficiency.

In 2012, Southern Utah University made news for doing without English language exams. Months later, SUU officials defended the school amid allegations that plagiarism was commonplace among students who learned English as a second language.

For students from other countries, such programs are a good way to get to know the campus.

Often, students in outside language preparatory tracks like Kaplan will take a few university classes, room with students from the states and eat in the dining hall, said John Baworowsky, a vice president at Westminster College who oversees enrollment.

For administrators, established recruiting companies boast a global network and a set curriculum. Often, it's easier for colleges to hire the firm and rent out the space than do it themselves, Bawaorowsky added. "They're harder and more expensive to start on your own."

Even if students meet the proficiency standards, they may still fall short in university classes.

"If you're not ready for that, you could fail," he said. "Sometimes, students complete English language programs, and they're still not proficient enough."

@anniebknox

Students at Utah's universities in 2013

By the numbers:

About 4 out of 5 are from Utah

14 percent, or 24,600 students, are from out of state

4.5 percent, or 8,060 students, are from other countries.