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
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.