In October 1981, the Institute of International Education (IIE) published a survey report on recent policy changes towards foreign students in public institutions of higher education. The immediate reason for the survey was to ascertain the effect of political protests by Iranian students during the Iranian hostage crisis. There was some concern about the possibility that these political protests might stimulate negative public reactions, not only towards the Iranians but towards foreign students more generally. The results of the 1981 survey were reassuring in this regard, indicating that few changes in policy had taken place.