COVID-19: How a Pandemic Exposed the Vulnerability of International Students in the U.S.

Conference Year

January 2021

Abstract

International students face many challenges adjusting to a new academic and cultural environment in the United States. In March 2020, universities suspended classes and closed their campuses, moving courses online and emptying residence halls due to COVID-19. International students had to find somewhere to live, worried about how the switch to online learning would affect their visa status, and navigated international travel restrictions. In this research I analyzed the precarious position of international students, looking at their lived experiences in the wake of COVID-19 and the state of international higher education. The Coronavirus has exacerbated the difficulties of being an international student, such as visa restrictions, experiences of neo-racism, and financial burden. Examining the international student experience in the context of a global public health crisis, we must examine how we can better support international students during their education in the U.S. and reduce the uncertainty they face.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Pablo Bose

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

Global Studies

Second Program/Major

Geography

Primary Research Category

Social Sciences

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COVID-19: How a Pandemic Exposed the Vulnerability of International Students in the U.S.

International students face many challenges adjusting to a new academic and cultural environment in the United States. In March 2020, universities suspended classes and closed their campuses, moving courses online and emptying residence halls due to COVID-19. International students had to find somewhere to live, worried about how the switch to online learning would affect their visa status, and navigated international travel restrictions. In this research I analyzed the precarious position of international students, looking at their lived experiences in the wake of COVID-19 and the state of international higher education. The Coronavirus has exacerbated the difficulties of being an international student, such as visa restrictions, experiences of neo-racism, and financial burden. Examining the international student experience in the context of a global public health crisis, we must examine how we can better support international students during their education in the U.S. and reduce the uncertainty they face.