Australia is the third-largest market for international students, following the US and UK. Due to COVID-19, its university sector is set to lose billions of dollars in funding. The sector is facing a “catastrophic scenario” with years-long effects if the country’s borders remain closed until 2021. In 2018, international student fees made up 26 percent or around AU$9 billion (US$6.5 billion) of all university revenue. Because of the border closures since March, the sector faces an estimated AU$3-4.8 billion (US$2.1-3.4 billion) loss this year alone. Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute projects a AU$19 billion (US$13.7 billion) loss for the sector by 2023. With such massive fund cuts, universities are axing 11,000 jobs out of an estimated 20,000 expected to go in the coming months. The National Tertiary Education Union estimates that 30,000 people with full-time equivalent positions will lose their jobs on top of thousands of casual employees whose contracts will not be renewed.

The UK and Canada are becoming top study-abroad destinations among Indian and Nepalese high school students, according to a new report. The IC3 Institute finds that 83 percent of these students remain optimistic about studying abroad despite challenges posed by COVID-19. In the survey, 73 percent show a desire to pursue higher education either abroad or in their home country. The students are driven by pull factors, like the appeal of studying abroad, rather than factors at home that force them to seek opportunities abroad. Pull factors include the quality of education in key destinations like the UK, Canada, and the US, as well as the ability to work in their host country after graduation. IC3 Institute President and CEO Rajika Bhandari adds, however, that more Indian students are considering Indian institutions a serious educational path rather than treating them as back-up options to overseas schools.

Hundreds of universities and colleges in the United States report coronavirus outbreaks since beginning the school year, with over 88,000 coronavirus cases linked to higher education campuses since the start of the pandemic. Brad Farnsworth, Vice President of Global Engagement at the American Council of Education, wagers a 25 to 30 percent decrease in international student enrollment. The decline could result in a US$3 billion revenue loss among public and private universities in the country. College and university leaders across the country fear that the pandemic, restrictive immigration policies, and Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric are the tipping points for international students. Some college administrators say that even with a more immigration-friendly president, it could take years for campuses to recover their pre-pandemic international enrollment numbers.

Data from the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP), which feature trends and data on diversity in Canadian universities from 2011 to 2016, shows that in pre-pandemic times, international students graduated earlier and were more likely to complete their master’s studies compared to their Canadian counterparts. In 2013, almost two-thirds or 65 percent of international students completed their master’s programs in two years, compared with 58 percent of Canadian students. In general, 87 percent of international students and 85 percent of Canadian students graduate from master’s programs within four years. Factors such as higher tuition rates and program pathways contribute to international students finishing their studies sooner than their Canadian counterparts.

New Zealand’s largest university, Auckland University, rescinds its plan to bring students back on campus this week for the final weeks of Semester 2. This reversal follows mass opposition by students to a decision to hold classes with up to 300 people on campus. The city of Auckland remains under COVID-19 restrictions. Vice-Chancellor Dawn Freshwater says in an email to all staff that classes in Auckland University will remain online until October 2 regardless of alert levels in the city. The decision comes as Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield announces that classes and lectures with more than 10 students were not allowed in the current situation. Some 10,000 students have signed petitions and flooded the Vice-Chancellor with messages, calling the university to maintain online learning until it can uphold social distancing measures.

The University of Toronto Mississauga cancels most in-person classes in all three campuses in response to COVID-19. Both offshore students who are currently taking online classes at UTM and students on campus are learning to overcome the challenges of studying during a pandemic. One main concern is the increase in tuition which, despite numerous online petitions from students to lower the costs, has continued to rise even with the movement to e-learning. Offshore students are also dealing with time differences as they have to adjust to an Eastern schedule to attend live online classes. A big challenge to online learning for students is not so much the time difference as it is the difficulty to retain information and concentrate while studying at home. On-campus students have access to generally faster internet connections, but Wi-Fi can be unstable due to the increase in users trying to access online learning tools. UTM has expressed its commitment to help the community adjust to these challenges.

Universities in Liverpool respond to the new changes announced by the UK government to prevent a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The new government measures include new closing times for restaurants and pubs as well as a ban on mixing among households. The University of Liverpool, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts announce in an open letter that they fully support these new measures, none of which they say will affect their teaching activities. The universities have already put in place steps to curb the spread of the virus, including moving some classes online, ensuring that on-campus classes are delivered with social distancing, ensuring each building is “COVID-secure”, introducing new arrival processes for students, and supporting international students arriving into the UK to quarantine safely.

Up to 20 million girls may never return to school even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, Pakistani activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai warns in a side event held at the UN General Assembly. Malala deems the pandemic a massive setback to ongoing goals such as education for women, citing that the global education funding gap has increased to US$200 billion per year. Various schools and learning centers around the world have closed due to the pandemic, affecting up to 94 percent of the world’s student population. Up to 99 percent of students in low and lower-middle income countries are greatly affected by these closures. Noting that little has been done in the past five years to achieve education for girls, the young activist challenges the world body: “When are you planning to do the work?”

Despite classes moving online, students are still paying for services and facilities to which they do not have access. An outbreak of COVID-19 at the Western University in London, Ontario, has led to the shut down of many non-academic activities such as in-person events, club meetings, and other athletic and recreational activities. However, Brandon Rheal Amyot - second-year student at Lakehead University - recalls getting charged fees for computer maintenance, media studies lab supplies, and recreation and wellness, none of which he can access as he is conducting his studies online. He adds the university is doing its best to overcome coronavirus challenges but is not being supported enough by the government. Nicole Brayiannis, national deputy chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students, says students should not be forced to pay for services they cannot use.

Many international students in Melbourne are struggling as they lose jobs but cannot have full access to government and federal support. Raiyan Chowdhury, a student from Bangladesh, is studying to be a chef in Melbourne while working part-time at a pub. At the onset of the pandemic, Chowdhury has lost his job and his housing, quickly running out of savings. Shortly after, he discovers that his entire family back home falls ill with COVID-19. The 19-year-old has been able to receive help from his school as well as a AU$1,100 (US$794) emergency funding grant from the Victorian government, for which he is extremely grateful. The young international student stays in Melbourne by working as an UberEats delivery rider and renting a couch in a West Footscray share house. Many other international students are falling between the “survive or go home” options and are reliant on charity as they remain ineligible for emergency government funds.

Many of Concordia University’s international students have rushed to return home when spring break ended and lockdowns came into effect in mid-March. Six months later, they are starting the semester online from their home countries. The university keeps tuition fees the same despite incurring significant costs to facilitate online learning. Vatsa Shah of India is struggling with the nine-hour time difference and is looking for the earliest opportunity to return to Montreal. Daniella García from the Dominican Republic has never been to Montreal and is meeting all of her new classmates online, which she says can be awkward for those who are shy. Rafli Qauwam Abdilla of the United Arab Emirates is staying positive despite his 4 am English class. Most international students are looking forward to returning to Montreal for more than financial reasons, but are trying to be a little more understanding of the current situation.

The South Australian government is likely to receive the final approval for a pilot plan to bring back international students soon. In August, it has announced that it would bring a small group of foreign students to campuses in Adelaide by September. However, as the end of September looms near, it has not yet received approval from the federal government. A South Australian government spokesperson says that they are working on the final logistics closely with the relevant agencies and the Commonwealth to ensure a safe return for up to 300 international students. While the state has not committed to a new timeline for this pilot plan, Premier Steven Marshall indicates that the trial should be launched before Christmas. Education Minister Dan Tehan says that it’s “very hard” to predict when offshore students can be allowed to enter the country.

Situated in suburban Hamburg, New York, right outside of Buffalo, Hilbert College is a private liberal arts college that embraces its Catholic Franciscan heritage and values. Due to its smaller size of about 800 students, Hilbert College offers the right-sized environment for anyone looking to start or advance their career. Students at Hilbert College can experience the support and individual attention the college offers on a personal level. While founded on the congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph and the teachings of St. Francis, Hilbert College welcomes students of diverse backgrounds, faiths, and cultures. Hilbert aims to produce students who are committed to serving and strengthening their communities. Students get the best of both worlds at Hilbert College as it is near enough the city of Buffalo but maintains the charm of a rural college. While mainly a liberal arts college, Hilbert offers undergraduate courses on biology, business management, cybersecurity, and forensic science. It also offers pre-professional programs for those who wish to pursue dentistry, law, medicine, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy.