Riding Out the Immigration Storm: Higher Education Responses and Support Provided to International Students in the U.S. During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The immigration and travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. government during the pandemic affected both international students preparing to start their academics in the U.S. and those currently enrolled. Reviewing the websites of 160 U.S. colleges and universities enrolling the highest numbers of international students, this study investigated if and how these institutions supported their international students during the time of global crisis. The results, obtained thought discourse analysis, revealed that the majority of websites (74%) provided such guidance, while the remaining 26% did not include any COVID-related content. Further, only 10% of the institutions issued official statements to and in support of their international students during the pandemic. In addition to portraying the volume and scope of support provided to international students by their institutions, this research also presented recommendations for all colleges and universities that are yet to respond to the international members of their academic communities.