Coronavirus leaves international students in limbo over their future – KYNT AM 1450 – Yankton, SD

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By: IVAN PEREIRA, ABC News

(NEW YORK) – In the past academic year, more than a million students from around the world have attended colleges and universities in the United States, studies show, but the coronavirus pandemic has put them at risk, as well as thousands of future future students.

Campus officials are still trying to figure out how to start the fall semester and whether they can accommodate the students. This uncertainty has put students who were impatiently waiting to come to the United States and participate in its best institutions in limbo, according to Erich Dietrich, clinical professor of higher education and international education at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education , and Human Development from New York University at Steinhardt.

“For undergraduates, this is a major milestone in their lives,” he told ABC News. “They know they are going to leave [to an American college]. They have their plans aligned. They applied before COVID started and now they are blocked. “

Failure to train at one of the best American colleges would affect not only the academic and professional prospects of students, but also the future of colleges that depend on their patronage.

The Institute of International Education (IIE), a 100-year-old non-profit organization that helps administer study abroad programs and track data from international students, said there were 1,095,299 international students at United States during the 2018-2019 academic year, approximately 5.5% of students. the total college student population of 19,828,000. Of these international students, 269,383 were new to undergraduate and graduate student programs in this country, according to the IIE.

In a report published in March, the organization said that several colleges had reduced their recruiting efforts outside the United States, particularly in China, where one-third of international students come from, and were using new options to deal with currently enrolled students. in their programs.

“Some institutions have made considerable efforts to establish electronic communications with prospective students, as well as virtual webinars and organize events, or work with partners and local agents,” said the IIE in a statement.

The organization did not immediately have data or information on what the colleges will do for next year. Representatives from two campuses with a large number of international students during the 2018-2019 academic year – including Columbia University, with 15,897 international students, and the University of Southern California, with 16,755 – told ABC News he had not yet made a decision on his admissions of foreign students.

John Beckman, spokesperson for NYU, the campus with the most international students (19,605), told ABC News that he was in a waiting position and that the campus was in talks with the federal government and other groups on the state of international travel for students.

“We have certainly not heard any reluctance from returning foreign students, and we have not seen any indicator of this, such as an increase in requests for leave. We are certainly looking forward to having them here, ”said Beckman in a statement.

Dietrich said that special care must be taken to provide the safest and most effective learning experience for international students. He noted that the majority of foreign students study for postgraduate degrees, and if campuses allow students to postpone their enrollment, this could affect strict academic hours.

“If a master’s program is spread over one or two years, few programs can be launched outside of the cycle,” he noted.

Dietrich said distance learning could help some students stay on their academic path, but it has a serious downside. International students are looking to study on American campuses because they want to experience American culture and the university lifestyle in addition to their programs, according to Dietrich.

“For them, going online is less attractive. They want all of the things that come with studying in the United States, ”he said.

Dietrich said future American policy could affect potential future students from other countries. He said more students have chosen to go to colleges in Canada and Australia in the past three years, out of concern for President Donald Trump’s tougher immigration policies, such as his ban on persons from Muslim countries.

The recent Presidential decree that would temporarily ban immigration to the United States could encourage more to stay away, Dietrich warned.

The professor said that the loss of international students would be detrimental to some colleges, especially the smaller ones, since many international students come from wealthy backgrounds and can pay more tuition fees. Campuses that are struggling to make ends meet because of the pandemic would take a hit, he said.

“For them, spending a year or two will be more difficult. The gap between wealthy and non-wealthy universities will continue, ”said Dietrich.

In the long term, however, Dietrich said that students would continue to travel to the United States for their studies after the pandemic ended, and predicted that more students would take postgraduate courses to help them navigate the new economy. American campuses will not lose their prestige and academic position in areas such as science, the arts and finance, he said.

“For the students who are out there and who are waiting, I say look towards the long term goals you have in your life,” he said. “It will pass.”

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