LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) - With the fall semester approaching, different challenges continue to arise for prospective and current international students due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
International admissions counselors at UW-La Crosse and Viterbo University are expecting much lower enrollment.
"A lot of our students are wondering, "Okay, if I can’t get a visa, when I should I potentially buy a ticket or when I should go ahead and plan to defer to spring or fall next year?" said Kelsey Jones, an international admissions counselor at UW-La Crosse. "Those types of things are coming up so we’re getting to that time now where we have to start making those hard decisions.”
UW-La Crosse averages between 100 and 200 international students per year. Before COVID-19 hit, counselors were expecting 60 new students. As of early August, they are now only expecting one or two.
Over at Viterbo, admissions counselors were expecting to have a program of 55 to 60 international students. Now, it's hard to see the University having that many students for the fall.
Both school's programs had been growing over the past five years, but those recruiting efforts are expected to take a complete 180 this upcoming semester.
“We may be seeing lower than normal enrollments due to health and safety concerns of students, embassies, consulates being closed, having difficulty getting visa appointments, and travel restrictions,” said Ken Felts, director of International Admissions at Viterbo University.
Paying a Premium...
The loss of international students adds onto the already expected low enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year which can have major implications for schools across the country.
"A lot of these universities which have thin balance sheets to begin with. They rely on these international students who come in and pay a premium to study at these universities to offset a lot of those costs," said Alex Valaitis, author of "Modern College."
"When international students come to the U.S., they are often paying nonresident tuition, so they’re paying full tuition fees, they’re paying room and board, just like we would do if we’re going to another country," said Heather Pearson, international admissions counselor at UW-La Crosse.
While public schools can rely on state aid, a loss of 20 or more students to a university like Viterbo could be devastating.
"Some of these middle-tier private universities, I worry this will actually be a very large hit to their bottom line and some of them may not survive in general," said Valaitis.
During the 2018-19 school year, international collegiate students contributed $41 billion to the U.S. economy.
Wisconsin saw a $448 million impact from 13,067 international students.
Students at UW-La Crosse contributed $3.7 million while students at Viterbo contributed $2.4 million.
Only Part Of The Problem...
Financial losses are only part of the problem. Both universities and the La Crosse community will also lose out on what these students truly bring to the table.
“They foster that diversity that we’re really looking for within our community and our university community," said Jones. "They bring a wide variety of learning perspectives, enriching the culture and the vibe here on campus, so we’re definitely going to miss that."
“We shouldn’t forget the other benefits they give us. What they provide to our campus community, exposure to other cultures, different world views, and perspectives, the chance to learn about people that are from different cultures than us,” said Felts.
Switching Up The Style...
International admissions counselors like Jones, Felts, and Pearson have had to change the way they recruit students. They utilize virtual formats to connect with perspective students.
"We’re constantly having to revamp our message to our students and kind of reassure them of what may happen or take these steps and be cautious and things of that nature," said Pearson.
That means taking phone calls at 2:00 a.m. due to time zone changes from students looking for guidance. Jones said the focus now for UW-La Crosse is working with prospective students to defer their admission to spring or fall of 2021. He also wants to help create the best possible experience for the remaining students, so they can share their stories with other potential students.
“Even during this time, we hunker down and continue to understand the importance of having what they bring to the table at our university and making sure that in the future, we continue on the vibe that we’ve been on,” said Jones.
“I would say that the vast majority of international students that I’m working with right now are still determined to come to the U.S. and get a U.S. education," said Felts.
Even with a tough semester expected for both international programs, all three counselors remain optimistic and believe they can continue to help make their student's dreams come true.
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Low international enrollment for universities will hurt bottom line, campus culture - WXOW.com
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