ICE Bans New International Students From Online-Only Campuses

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced that new international students who will be taking classes entirely online this fall will not be allowed to enter the country. ICE has directed school officials not to issue Form I-20 documents, important for eligibility, to offshore international students under new or initial status who plan to take classes fully online. The new directive will affect a large number of international students, with statistics from the Chronicle of Education showing that 12% of more than 1,250 colleges in the US are switching to an online-only model. ICE's announcement was met with criticism and calls for Congress to investigate the ban.

Documented

Canada Provides Exception For U.S. Students Planning To Study North Of Border

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued new guidelines allowing international students from the US to enter the country. In its update, the IRCC says border officials will accept a port of entry letter of introduction that shows the student from the US was approved for a study permit, in lieu of a permit approved before March 18. The Canadian government had earlier said that it will prioritize study permits for students who have submitted complete applications online. Students will also be able to apply time spent studying online toward their eligibility for work permits in Canada, provided at least 50% of the program is completed in the country.

CTV News

Private Colleges Say International Student Enrollment Numbers Unchanged

Three private colleges in Estonia say there was little to no change in the number of admissions of international students for the upcoming academic year, despite travel and residency restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences, popularly known as the Mainor College, reports that 135 international students are due to be admitted next year, well within the same range as last year. Officials note, however, that the total figure of international students who will arrive may be lower than the number of those enrolled. They add, institutions are working on offering e-learning opinions in the fall to help international students who have to self-quarantine upon arriving in the country.

ERR News

International Students Will Pick Ireland For Its Superior Pandemic Management

Ireland’s Ambassador to India, Brendan Ward, says that the country’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic makes it an attractive destination for international students, as compared to the US and the United Kingdom. Ward notes that Ireland has the lowest current incidence of COVID-19 cases in western Europe. He says that despite the coronavirus outbreak, there is still a significant number of Indian students, particularly postgraduate students, who are eager to pursue a master’s degree in Ireland in the next academic year. Higher education institutions are putting in place new health and safety protocols as the country prepares to re-open the economy. Ward says schools are ready to support new international students and help them with arranging temporary accommodations on arrival, airport transfers, and online orientations.

The Times Of India

Thousands Of Foreign Students Wait For News On Swedish Residence Permits

Uncertainty looms over around 4,000 international students in Sweden as coronavirus measures may affect their rights to a residence permit. Under Swedish law, the Migration Agency may only give residence permits to students who will have more than 50% of their courses conducted on campus. Many universities in the country are planning to continue teaching remotely. Thousands of non-EU students who are applying for a new residence permit or for a permit extension risk rejection if they are unable to show that the majority of their courses will be taught on campus. Higher education officials have called on the government to step up and give new directions to the Migration Agency.

The Local

'Quite Serious': International Student Visa Applications Plummet

International student visa applications to Australia plunge by 33.5%, further validating what past research estimated to be a five-year recovery period for the country's higher education sector. Applications from China have dropped 20%, from Nepal 61%, and from India 47%. Smaller universities and private vocational colleges expect to be hit the hardest due to their greater reliance on students from India and Nepal, while larger, more established institutions are more reliant on students from China. Academic experts in the field cite the government's decision to shut offshore student visa processing during the initial lockdowns, though application numbers had already been on a downturn prior to the pandemic.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Foreign Students Face Unique Challenges During Pandemic

The changing visa rules in the US are posing questions of logistics and uncertainty for many international students, and higher education officials are worried that shifting policies will put students’ safety at risk and cause significant financial damage to colleges and universities. Students from Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State University have decided not to go back to their home countries due to federal restrictions that may not allow them to return to the US amidst the pandemic. Newly admitted students, meanwhile, find it difficult to get visas to come to campus. While schools in the US are working to boost the number of international students, officials say that changing visa policies are hurting recruitment.

The News-Gazette

Online Classes Bring An Increase In Tuition Fees In Canada

With colleges and universities in Canada transferring their courses online, tuition fees have increased from 3% to 7%, leaving students with no choice but to comply or skip the semester altogether. Several petitions have come out from international students who are dissatisfied by the fee hike, which they claimed to be unjustified due to the "lower quality of education" transmitted online. Tuition increases and petitions have also been occuring in the UK following the announced suspension of their home fee status for other EU countries, which is expected to affect application numbers in 2021.

College News

UK Universities Forced To Innovate In Fight For Survival

Despite risking insolvency, locally-focused University of Sunderland launches a “skills boost” scheme that gives its community members who have lost their jobs during the pandemic a 20% discount on courses. Offering these opportunities falls in line with the Department of Education’s institutional restructuring program that gives greater importance on the “economic and societal needs to the nation.” Academic programs with low demand in the job market may be absolved while technical education and apprenticeships in science and technology could be strengthened and prioritized. These claims from the ministers have been heavily criticized by academics and institution executives as “evidence-free ideology” as appropriate financial aid from the government continues to be withheld from the education sector.

Financial Times

‘Dickensian Conditions' Await Future Learners If International Student Income Is Lost

Higher education officials from Queensland’s biggest tertiary institutions have warned that the next generation of students in Australia will be educated in conditions similar to those depicted in Charles Dickens's novels if international students will not be allowed to enter the state soon. Queensland University of Technology Vice-Chancellor Margaret Sheil told a parliamentary inquiry that universities will not be able to invest in new facilities and improve research and academic capabilities without revenue from international student fees. The University of Queensland and the Queensland University of Technology educate more than 28,000 international students from 134 countries each year. A trial set to welcome some international students back to Queensland has been put on hold following the second wave of coronavirus cases in Victoria.

Brisbane Times

Government Spending $51m On International Education Sector, But Says Students Will Not Return This Year

The New Zealand government is spending NZ$51.6 million (US$34 million) to help the country’s international education sector. The package is part of a long-term recovery plan to stabilise the industry amidst the global pandemic. Part of the funding will go towards ensuring that international students remaining in the country get the pastoral care they need, and efforts to develop “future-focused” products and schemes to allow international students to study from their home countries. In announcing the bailout, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said schools and other institutions should plan to not receive any international students for the rest of the year. High school principals welcomed the government’s announcement but expressed concerns that schools may have to cut jobs and programs if international students will not be allowed back to the country in 2021.

Stuff

As Indians Choose Foreign Courses, International Applications In Domestic Varsities Drop

Several private universities in India have reported a sharp decline in the numbers of international applications, while more and more Indian students continue to pursue foreign degrees despite the pandemic. Officials from the JK Lakshmipat University say there was an overall 37% increase in Indian students’ applications, with many local students preferring master’s programs that allow them to study abroad later in the course. The university, meanwhile, has not yet received any confirmed international students this year, in contrast to the hundred of applicants it usually gets every year. Officials attribute the low numbers to the lack of clear guidelines regarding student visa applications in the country.

Financial Express

Featured Institution: Edgewood College

Overlooking the shores of Lake Wingra, Edgewood College is a 55-acre campus nestled in the heart of Madison, Wisconsin. This private, Dominican-sponsored college was founded in 1927 as a junior college for women and offered a two-year liberal arts curriculum. The college started accepting male students in the mid-1960s and officially became coeducational in 1970. Today, Edgewood College maintains a diverse and accepting community of learners that affirms both its Catholic heritage and respect for other religions, races, and backgrounds. Edgewood is committed to building a just and compassionate world by providing students with various courses and programs in both the humanities and science fields. Students at Edgewood have access to a multitude of courses, from Art Therapy to Cytotechnology. Edgewood is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission based in Chicago. Its nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education while the business program is accredited by Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. Edgewood aims to produce high-quality and compassionate graduates who are ready to work in virtually any industry. 

Edgewood College