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 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 the state of international higher education and the lived experiences of international students in the wake of COVID-19. The Coronavirus has exacerbated the existing difficulties of being an international student, such as visa restrictions, experiences of neo-racism, and financial burden. Studying the international student experience in the context of a global public health crisis, we must examine how we can reduce the uncertainty they face and better support international students during their education in the U.S