Impacts of COVID-19 on International Students in the U.S.

COVID-19 is a recent pandemic that has affected all sectors of the economy, including higher education. The magnitude of the pandemic in the education sector has been diverse, with many disruptions being evidenced. The pandemic has particularly disrupted learning across the world due to the closure of schools. The international students have been adversely affected owing to their precarious situation. This literature review study explored how COVID-19 affected international students in the US. The study identified that the closure of on-site educational instructions coupled with international travel restrictions left international students in precarious situations where they were not learning but the international students could not travel back home. This had trickle-down negative effects on their finances/budget and emotions. The move to e-learning put the international students at a disadvantage as it amplified inequality in the education sector. Based on these devastating impacts, the study recommends the need for policy and practice changes to protect international students from such devastating impacts in the future.