How Decreasing Enrollment Among International Students Can Impact US Campuses
Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash
Over the past few years international student enrollment in post-secondary programs has decreased dramatically. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been a major cause of this decrease and it seems to be nearing its end, the effects that this drop in enrollment has on international students still attending University or College on-campus in the U.S will most likely be felt for quite some time.
Not only has the pandemic created staffing issues in the education sector, it’s also made it much more difficult for international students to get the support they need on and off campus.
For example, it can be more challenging to receive financial aid, as most universities and colleges have decreased the amount of money they’re handing out or the frequency at which they’re handing it out at. It’s also likely that you’re finding it more challenging to get direct support from your academic advisors, career counselors, or international student advisors since some of these roles have moved online or had their hours drastically reduced recently.
At the end of the day, whether you’ve noticed it yet or not, life on campus as an international student in the U.S has changed over the past few years and we need to discuss how you can reduce the impact felt by these changes so it doesn’t negatively affect your experience or your future.
In this blog, we’ll go over the three main changes you’ve either already experienced or will be experiencing directly as a result of this shift, plus, how you can manage them so you’re set up for success. These three changes are related to:
Student Support/Resources
Job Hunting in the U.S
Student Wellbeing On-Campus
The Impact on Student Support
Throughout your post-secondary career it’s important that you take advantage of the free support and resources offered by your school. Almost every college or university will offer things like career counseling, academic support/advising, mental health services and much more. However, over the past two to three years, the availability of these resources has most likely been negatively impacted on your campus.
Furthermore, with enrollment of international students dropping, you may see specific resources available to international students become less and less accessible.
For this reason, it’s important that you keep the following pieces of advice in mind.
First, ensure you plan ahead. Academic advisors, therapy services and career counseling on campus are most likely working overtime or already being stretched thin by the lack of staffing or an increased amount of demand. This can make it extremely difficult to book an appointment with any of these professionals when you need it.
In order to ensure you’re preparing for the future, pre-emptively, check-in with your advisors to find out what their schedule and availability looks like so you can plan to meet with them when you think you may need their help most. If you anticipate that it likely will be a tough semester for you and that you might need more coping strategies or additional mental health support, reach out to your counseling services on-campus as early as possible.
Booking last-minute appointments may be something offered by your school, but oftentimes there’s quite a long waitlist. Check-in with your support systems and plan ahead so you don’t find yourself scrambling at the last minute.
Second, find alternative resources or support systems. I mentioned a few of the main support systems you can find on campus above, but what about the ones we don’t commonly consider?
A few examples of these are your professors, your teaching assistants and even your classmates. These are often the people we interact with the most, but when it comes to seeking help, these might be the last people you reach out to because you have a certain relationship with them and it feels awkward to go to them for advice on specific topics.
With a decrease in available support systems comes an opportunity to build new support networks. Your professors and teaching assistants are arguably the best people to go to with academic issues because they directly understand what you’re being challenged with. They may not be able to help you with issues around course scheduling or academic planning, but if you’re struggling with course load or seeking extra help, these people should be the first individuals you reach out to.
Your classmates may also be an untapped support system in your life. Oftentimes, it can be difficult to ask classmates for help due to fear of being judged or embarrassed, but you would be surprised how often your classmates are facing the same challenges you are and all it takes is one person to speak up in order to break the metaphorical ice.
Working together to solve a problem, especially when it’s with someone you’re close with, is one of the easiest ways to overcome your challenges. Don’t be afraid to reach out when you need help.
Job Hunting in the U.S
Another area impacted by the decrease in enrollment is the job market. International students make up a large chunk of the applicants in a number of fields in the U.S job market, especially when it comes to summer internships.
Depending on your field of study, you may notice one of two things:
A decrease in job opportunities due to lack of funding or a drop in applicants.
An increase in available job opportunities due to the decrease in applicants.
Some markets were impacted heavily by the pandemic while others actually benefited from it. Because of this, the types of jobs you’re looking for will heavily impact your results.
A student in medical sciences, for example, will have a much different experience when looking for potential jobs or internships than a student in a retail or service-related industry.
Here are a few things you should remember when looking for your next position.
Looping back to the first topic in this blog, take advantage of your available resources. Use your career counseling services or on-campus networking events to find potential employers and go directly to the source!
Second, use this as an opportunity. If you’re in a field with less applicants than normal, reach for positions you may normally not feel comfortable reaching for. With companies struggling to hire capable employees, you might find you get lucky!
Lastly, if you’re in a field with less available positions, use this as a chance to expand your search. Adjust your job title search keywords and look for positions in other areas that might be of interest to you. You might even find that you have an interest in another field.
Student Wellbeing on Campus
The final point I want to cover in this blog is the impact and importance of international student wellbeing on campus.
Over the past two years, international students, particularly students from Asia, have faced increased discrimination on U.S campuses and in American society as a whole, and with the lower number of international students actually on campus, this may continue to rise.
You might also find that your usual outlets to discuss these kinds of issues, like international student groups/clubs, are less common at your school, due to the decreased international student presence.
This is something that students of all backgrounds need to be aware of as they move forward in their post-secondary career and something that international students can combat directly through their actions over the next few years.
Support on-campus may be available to you if you face issues like discrimination or harassment. Your school administrators, your professors, and your classmates can be lifelines you can use if you feel unsafe in your environment. Although, you may find that with less international students on campus or in your classroom, there may be less attention given to issues concerning international students; with that it’d be even more important for you to speak up and ask for help.
Because of this, it’s vital that you have safe spaces for international students to discuss issues specifically related to their experiences, without fear of judgement or retaliation.
For this reason alone, I offer this piece of advice: Use this opportunity to create these safe spaces for yourself and your peers.
International students are a big part of the population on many U.S campuses. Oftentimes, they simply lack the available space to meet as a group.
If you find that your school doesn’t currently offer a club centered around international student issues, I challenge you to create your own.
Not only will this positively impact your well-being, it will also directly impact your success in the other two areas mentioned in this blog above.
“The most important thing you can do to ensure your wellbeing is taken care of is to create a support system you trust and an environment where you feel safe. ”
Looking Ahead
Even if you haven’t been directly impacted by the changes of the past few years, there is an opportunity here for international students to create positive change that continues on into the future.
All it takes is a few brave individuals to make this change happen.
Are you one of the few?
About The Author
Many years ago I came to the U.S. from Taiwan and studied in a field that rarely accepted “fresh off the boat” international students from non-English speaking countries. I’m Dr. Vivi Hua, Psy.D. and I help international students navigate the cross-cultural aspects of their experience in the U.S., so they can succeed academically and socially and build a life and career that they desire!