User:Krys Phung/Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education

Impact on International Students
International students have been known to contribute significantly to the educational system in the United States in various aspects such as diversity, research, cultural enrichment, and economics. However, international students often have to pay a higher price for an education in the U.S. as well as face higher risks without governmental and administrative protection in times of crisis. The pandemic of COVID-19 is an example of those times.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, international students face more disadvantages compared to students with American citizenship or residency. This situation was mainly prompted by immigration-related governmental decisions of "border-closings, drastic visa, and immigration policy changes" (Mbous et al., 2022). International students show to have a higher rate of mental and depressive disorders compared to local students.

The shift into the pandemic of educational institution forces changes in lifestyle. The most important change is the introduction into learning through technology, leading to a significant increase in computer screen time. Consequently, it leads to an increase in utility consumption. However, international students were not eligible for government's financial support. In addition, the health care cost for international students in the U.S. was significantly higher than American citizens and residents. This healthcare-related financial burden became more significant during a health pandemic such as COVID-19, causing international students extra financial stress and concerns.

Changes in academic style were the opposite of what international students expect when they decide to pursue an American education. The lack of in-person peer interaction, lack of social and professional networks, and the hindrance to use in-school resources and amenities all contribute largely to reduce the quality of international students' lives and work overseas. International students have to adapt to these academic obstacles on top of the regular challenges that they would need to overcome during normal times.

Decrease of International Students Population in the U.S.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports data that shows significant decreased in the population of international students in the United States across different categories in 2020 compared to 2019. The most notable decrease in international students population in 2020 in the U.S. comes from the reduction in number of new enrolled students as a result from border closing, international flight cancellations, and changes in immigration policies

"America-First" Policy Against International Student During the Pandemic
Many immigration policies were introduced to either force international students who are taking online courses out of the United States or prevent them from reentering the U.S. International students who enrolled in institutions that switched to fully remote operation during the COVID-19 pandemic were legally required to leave the U.S. in a very short period of time and were not assisted in getting means of transportation. For students with F-1 visa that attended institutions that have mixed remote and in-person operation, they are restricted to only taking one course online and the remaining courses in-person. Additionally, international students were also required to obtain a special certificate from their school to prove to the government that their school program is not entirely online and that they are taking the appropriate number of online classes. No similar restricting policies was issued for American students.