While many US Universities may not realize it, their international students are one of their most precious assets since they add diversity to their pool of students. However, its safe to say that most US universities failed their international students at the time of Coronavirus crisis.
When students who were living on campus were asked to return home — often with only a few days notice — international students were faced with a different set of challenges.
Some could not leave due to personal finances, because they were unable to purchase an airline ticket with short notice. Others found that border closures and other restrictions made travel back to their country of origin impossible. Some also reported that while their family members at home felt increased anxiety about having them so far away during a global pandemic, they also discouraged them from returning, as they believed their students would be safer or might have better access to medical care in the U.S. should they become ill.
International students also confronted a situation where, if they left the U.S., they may find it difficult to return to complete their studies.
Here are some ways that US Universities can support their future international students for win & win situation for both sides:
Develop student-centered best practices to serve international students during the pandemic.
International students who remain on campus are isolated from each other due to social distancing requirements and find few resources on largely shuttered campuses. Their counterparts who were able to return to their countries of origin may find it difficult to participate in some online classes given the enormous time zone differences.
Advocate for new processes for student visas.
The pandemic has suspended routine visa services at U.S. consular offices, with limited appointments for new student visa applications across the globe. If this lasts until May, the backlog of visa requests alone will tie up applications for months. It is also likely that when consular offices reopen, they will prioritize appointments, with student visas taking one of the lower rungs on the ladder.
Convene an online global government summit on higher education.
Other countries, such as China, India and Vietnam, have imposed stricter restrictions on travel into and out of their countries. In many cases, these restrictions affect citizens and foreign nationals, and movement within the country as well. The longer these restrictions remain in place, the less likely it is that students will be able to make plans to arrive in the U.S. in time for the fall semester.
Increase financial aid for international students.
The pandemic’s financial impact has dramatically increased unemployment across the globe. Many international students, just like their domestic counterparts, will no longer be able to afford the portion of tuition and fees they did the previous year.
Create new models of higher education.
Given travel prohibitions and the anticipated increased inability of international students to afford tuition, currently enrolled international students who returned home may not be able to complete their degrees. Prospective international students may also have to give up their dreams of earning a degree from a U.S. college or university.
Redouble support for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and internships.
With the dramatic rise in unemployment in the U.S., international students about to finish their undergraduate and graduate degrees are telling us they will likely have to forgo OPT. If this situation continues, prospective students, who have long factored OPT into their decisions to study in the U.S., will look more closely at their options in other countries. In addition, many academic programs require internships for all students, and, because international students can only work for one year after graduation through OPT, they can have a harder time securing these internships.