Due to the nature of the virus, travel industry took the biggest hit by the COVID-19 among many business sectors. Likewise, the novel coronavirus has put international education programs like Study Abroad into dire trouble. For example, almost every Study Abroad programs were cancelled for Summer 2020 and it’s very likely that Fall study abroad programs will be cut short. Additionally, international students and scholars also decided to go back to their home countries as many U.S. campuses and dorms were closed in the middle of the Spring semester. Therefore, it is foreseen that U.S. colleges and universities would suffer from low Fall 2020 student enrollment and, in turn, massive financial losses. To advocate for international education and to request federal supports, one of the biggest international education associations, NAFSA; Association of International Educators issued a report on the financial loss of U.S. higher education and made policy recommendations for Fall 2020 intake. Some of these recommended policy changes regarding the visa process were actually reflected in the letter, written by 21 Republicans, in responds of DHS (Department of Homeland Security)’s recommendations to Congress to limit non immigration programs like OPT and H-1B during COVID-19. This post is going to share estimated financial loss due to the low enrollment and summarize NAFSA’s requests to support international students, which were heard by Republicans.
Related blog posts: GOP sent letters to stop OPT suspension by Trump
Contents
- Estimated financial loss due to the low enrollment
- Policy change recommendations for better Fall 2020 student enrollment
Estimated financial loss due to the low enrollment
According to the Institute of International Education, new international student enrollment has declined for three consecutive years and it will be exacerbated now, due to the US embassy closures and travel restrictions. Fall 2020 student enrollment is estimated to be 25% less than usual, which would cause a loss of approximately $10 billion and 114,000 jobs to U.S. economy, according to Issue Brief, published by NAFSA. Already a number of U.S. institutions have reduced working hours, laid off administrative employees, and furloughed staffs. Besides U.S. higher education institutions’ job losses, various study abroad agents and providers were also forced to downsize the program and eliminate various positions. Combining the fact that group of students with diverse background provide a key revenue stream to the U.S. higher education operating expenses, it might take years for international education to recover and revive without federal supports. In this light, NAFSA requested the Congress to implement the following stimulus fundings:
- Increase funding for the Increasing and Diversifying Education Abroad for U.S Students (IDAES) program
- Establish funding in the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) to support innovation in study abroad
Given that most of readers of this post are international students, stimulus fundings for study abroad programs will not be discussed in detail. Instead, requested visa policy changes to ensure smooth transition for international students and scholars will be discussed point by point below.
Policy change recommendations for better Fall 2020 student enrollment
If you are in any international students community in social media, you may have seen posts by non immigrant visa holders who are worried about their visa status asking “will I be able to return to U.S. in Fall” kind of questions. Part of these concerns are coming from Trump’s legal immigration ban recommendation which is being reviewed. We are not sure if this recommendation will be approved by the Congress, but good news is that 21 Republicans showed their supports regarding non immigrant individuals by writing the letter. To advocate for national policies that support OPT program and ensure timely visa processing, 21 members of Congress made recommendations on visa policy changes which are literally what NAFSA asked the Congress. Details are the following:
Related blog posts: Trump immigration ban to suspend opt
- Waiving the in-person interview requirement for visa applicants to the fullest extent allowable by law;
- Maintaining priority appointments for international student and exchange visitor visa applicants, to include prioritizing the rescheduling of cancelled appointments in response to the COVID-19 emergency; and
- Accommodating the need for timely visa issuance and renewal for professors, researchers, scientists for Fall 2020 semester
Other than these changes in visa procedural, NAFSA also asked related government partners to plan on processing the expected surge of visa requests, to implement a nimble process at ports of entry, and to postpone any non COVID-19 rule making that impacts international students and exchange visitors. Furthermore, it was also requested to establish a national recruitment strategy to attract and retain talented students and scholars from all over the world.
Given the fact that a huge part of American post-secondary institutions’ operating expenses are from international students, it should be national interests to ensure the safe return of international students and researchers to the campus in Fall 2020. Collaborated with federal supports and flexible policy changes by government partners, challenges of estimated low student enrollment and financial loss of $10 billion can be tackled.
