The coronavirus has caused a devastating impact on foreign education
The study plans of many prospective international students have been disrupted as a result of the global health emergency. For this reason it is crucial that universities focus on how they can help support students during this difficult time. Many institutions have taken initiatives but there are concerns about whether students themselves need to adapt or change their study plans.
While the full extent of the Covid-19 pandemic remains uncertain, many leading universities have reassured students that they are continuing to accept applications for degree programs starting later this year. However, most universities in the UK are planning to delay the entry of new students until January 2021, while offering online teaching.
In Australia the number of universities cancelling teaching and exams has grown with the pandemic and a lot of universities in different parts of Europe have cancelled face-to-face lectures and/or ended the term early.
In the US 24 states have now announced school and university closures in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, but most of them are offering the option to resume studies online.
Online study
Online study has grown to be an increasingly popular temporary fix, particularly the last few months. A recent study revealed that a majority of international students appear to be happy to study online, although they do miss not being able to study in the country of their choice. But for those, this option will do for now, as long as their studies are not affected.
While this is an unprecedented situation, there are encouraging signs that online education isn’t putting students off from applying to university. Only 39 percent of international students were completely opposed to the idea, according to the survey, while the rest were supportive of it.
Putting plans on hold
Those who are not convinced that this situation will be solved soon might decide it’s better to postpone any international studies for 2021.
Why not get an online degree?
Many prospective international students are considering changing their study plans altogether, and rather than opting for one university in one country, they are looking at online study options offered by prestigious universities all over the world.
Many universities have started offering more online degrees as a result of the outbreak. This option will likely not delay study plans too much, as many online degrees have rolling admissions, meaning students can apply anytime.
What if things go south?
Students who were studying abroad when COVID-19 erupted in most countries, lost money with trips being cancelled or cut short, or they had to spend months in a foreign country without being able to return home. Students who had to buy a plane ticket at short notice realised that it was going to be very expensive.
Some refunds came through, some still haven’t
When it comes to money lost for not physically attending college, only a few colleges have refunded students.
A lot of colleges or universities haven’t yet been clear as to how they will go about reimbursing students now that students have returned home and are not studying abroad as a result of the crisis.
based on article in Gulf News
Thank you for visiting ArabicOnline.Eu. Our award winning interactive courses of Modern Standard Arabic have been developed for anyone with a genuine interest in Arabic, whether for private, educational or professional reasons and are specially designed for self-study. Our website and our language courses are free from advertisements and we don't share any personal details of our visitors or registered members with third parties. Nor do we sell data for targeted advertising. We believe passionately that learning should be free from commercial distractions. For this reason we rely on subscriptions to fund the development of our products. Click here to find out more about our Beginner to Intermediate Arabic courses.
