As the delta version of Covid-19 spreads across the United States, several institutions are witnessing an increase in deferrals from overseas students, as the worsening public-health scenario adds uncertainty to individuals who are already trying to get flights and visas.
It’s just one more evidence that campuses will be anything but usual this fall, as schools have had to rely on mask laws, vaccine requirements, and testing regimes to get kids back to in-person learning while also keeping them safe in the face of an outbreak of illnesses.
In a normal year, around 1 million international students travel to the United States to study, with Chinese and Indian students leading the way. This group’s deferrals are unlikely to be as prevalent as they were last autumn. However, any adoption of this option might be costly for institutions, not least because overseas students often pay full tuition.
“We’ve started to get phone calls in the last week or two,” said Erin O’Brien, associate dean and chief enrollment officer at the University at Buffalo School of Management, which is part of New York’s public university system. “We frequently receive deferrals when we get phone calls from overseas.”
According to O’Brien, 44 percent of those enrolled to the graduate business school last year deferred. International students choose this path at a higher rate, with 59 percent opting for it. This year, with a week before classes begin, only 6% of international students have delayed, though she expects that percentage to rise.
“If they were entirely missing from our campus, it would certainly be a financial hit,” O’Brien said, referring to the school’s overseas students. “It’s also a smash with the college community, a cultural hit, and a student life hit.”