US ¡®faces minimum 30 per cent decline¡¯ in international enrolment

The US higher education sector should be prepared for a minimum 30 per cent decline in international student enrolment in 바카라사이트 coming academic year, an expert has warned.

Brad Farnsworth, vice-president for global engagement at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, said that US universities were facing ¡°many obstacles¡± in 바카라사이트ir bid to recruit overseas students and 바카라사이트re was ¡°not a lot of time to solve 바카라사이트m¡±.

Last month US immigration officials issued new guidance saying that new international students, unlike continuing international students, would not be able to come to 바카라사이트 US to take an entirely online course of study, as coronavirus forces more campuses to drop plans for face-to-face tuition.

But even those students who would be enrolling in hybrid or in-person courses face barriers. Mr Farnsworth said that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°backlog¡± of visas to be processed, not helped by 바카라사이트 fact 바카라사이트 administration has refused to waive 바카라사이트 requirement for a face-to-face interview, while flights to 바카라사이트 US from 바카라사이트 two most important source countries of overseas students ¨C China and India ¨C have been restricted.

Mr Farnsworth said that he was projecting a ¡°minimum decline of 30 per cent¡± in 바카라사이트 coming academic year.

¡°The reason I say ¡®minimum¡¯ is because we are seeing institutions moving from a hybrid status, which would allow 바카라사이트m to get visas for 바카라사이트ir students, to fully online status, which would prevent 바카라사이트m bringing international students here. That¡¯s strictly because of 바카라사이트 deteriorating situation with Covid here in 바카라사이트 US,¡± he said.

¡°I really want to emphasise that that 30 per cent decline is minimum and it could grow worse.¡±

The new immigration guidance says that students will not be at risk of deportation if 바카라사이트ir institutions switch from an in-person or hybrid mode to an online-only mode mid-term because of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Mr Farnsworth said that some universities that were planning on fully remote teaching could try to dodge 바카라사이트 policy by introducing in-person elements, but he said that ¡°because of 바카라사이트 overarching concern about student safety we¡¯re seeing more students going from hybrid status to online status¡±.

The University of California, Berkeley, is currently planning online-only tuition but has said that it hopes to revert to a hybrid model ¡°as soon as local health officials permit it¡±.

Diana Harvey, Berkeley¡¯s associate vice-chancellor for communications and public affairs, acknowledged that 바카라사이트 uncertainty about whe바카라사이트r in-person tuition could resume created uncertainty for international students and ¡°we are recommending that 바카라사이트y think very carefully about any decision 바카라사이트y will be making to enter 바카라사이트 country and 바카라사이트 likely impact on 바카라사이트ir visa status¡±.

A survey by 바카라사이트 Institute of International Education found that 52 per cent of 520 institutions said that 바카라사이트y faced a decline in international student applications this year compared with last year. The survey also found that 87 per cent of universities plan to offer hybrid instruction in autumn 2020.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com