REPORT 2

COVID-19

SNAPSHOT SURVEY SERIESCOVID-19 EFFECTS ON U.S.
HIGHER EDUCATION CAMPUSES

From Emergency Response to
Planning for Future Student Mobility
Mirka Martel, Ph.D.
May 2020

COVID-19 Effects on U.S. Higher Education Campuses
From Emergency Response to Planning for Future Student Mobility

Mirka Martel, Ph.D.
May 2020

COVID-19 Snapshot Survey Series
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is studying the effects of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on international
educational exchange at U.S. higher education institutions. Our aim in this series is to provide more information about
the effects that COVID-19 has had on international student mobility, and the measures U.S. higher education
institutions are taking to support international students currently on campus and those overseas, international
students interested in studying in the United States, and U.S. students planning to study abroad.
Report 1: Academic Student Mobility to and from China
The first report in the series focuses on the effects of COVID-19 on academic student mobility to and from mainland
China.
Report 2: From Emergency Response to Planning for Future Student Mobility
The second report takes a broader look to analyze COVID-19 effects on U.S. campuses in spring 2020, as well as
looking ahead to institutional adjustments to inbound and outbound student exchange in summer and fall 2020.
To download these reports, visit IIE’s COVID-19 page: https://www.iie.org/Connect/COVID-19

Introduction
The COVID-19 Snapshot Survey Series began with research interest at the Institute of International Education (IIE),
and in the international education community, to study the effects of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on U.S. higher
education institutions and academic student mobility to and from the United States. When IIE launched the firstsurvey on February 13, 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 was centered in China, and the first report focused on
student mobility to and from that country. By the time the first report was released on March 4, the virus had
spread at an alarming pace to Europe and the United States. On May 1, 2020, when the second survey closed,
COVID-19 had infected more than 3.2 million people globally, with almost 1.07 million cases in the United States.i
In two months, global and national events brought the realities of COVID-19 to the doorstep of U.S. higher
education institutions. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a healthpandemic.ii On March 13, the United States issued a national health emergency and travel was halted to many
countries affected by COVID-19.iii In the subsequent days, nearly all U.S. higher education institutions made thedecision to end in-person instruction, moving student engagement to virtual communication. Most study abroad
programs were canceled, and U.S. students were asked to return home. International students made difficult
decisions about whether to stay in the United States or return to their home countries.
Our report traces these realities, analyzing the disruptions that COVID-19 has had on U.S. higher education andthe tens of thousands of international students and U.S. students subsequently affected. The three main sectionsof the report present data on U.S. higher education institutions and the effects of COVID-19 on 1) campus life; 2)international students, both those that could not come and those already on campus in the spring semester; and3) U.S. students studying abroad. The analysis also looks ahead to summer and fall 2020 and the recruitment ofinternational students, as well as insights into student interest in future study abroad.

Survey Respondent Institutions
IIE administered the second survey to U.S. higher education institutions from April 16 to May 1, 2020. The survey
was sent to the IIENetwork and respondents of the Open Doors® 2019 Report on International Educational
Exchange.iv 599 institutions completed the survey, doubling the response total from the first survey in the series.v
Over 87% of respondents participated in Open Doors 2019.

Institution Sector

Institution Type1%

Doctoral Universities

6%
18%

29%
Master's Colleges andUniversities

47%
PublicAssociate's Colleges

Private not-for-profit
Baccalaureate
Colleges

Private for-profit
21%

52%

26%

2

Special Focus
Institutions

U.S. Institutions and Their COVID-19 Response
U.S. higher education institutions enrolled approximately 19.7 million students on theircampuses in 2019.vi
The 599 institutions represented in the COVID-19 analysis hosted 519,456 international students on their campus in
2018/19, or 47% of the total population of international students in the United States. vii Additionally, 175,289 students
from these campuses studied abroad in 2017/18, or 51% of the total U.S. student population studying abroad foracademic credit.viii
With the threat of COVID-19, institutions have grappled with virtual instruction on campus, the safety and security of
their U.S. and international students on campus, and the return of U.S. students studying abroad. This section analyzes
the response by U.S. colleges and universities, with an emphasis on the decisions that most impact international student
mobility and internationalization.

Institutional Closures as a Result of COVID-19 in Spring 2020viviiviii

96%
Canceled on-campus
events91%
Closed campus
buildings and offices

88%
Canceled
international travelfor staff/faculty82%
Canceled
international travelfor students

77%
Canceled domestic
travel for staff/faculty54%
Closed dormitories
and student housing

In addition to canceled on-campus events during the spring 2020 semester, respondent institutions noted that
their commencement ceremonies for the academic year had been postponed to the summer or moved to a virtual
platform. 86% of institutions transitioned on-campus events to virtual events.
Closed facilities and offices on campus included administrative offices and classrooms, dining halls and meetingareas, and libraries and laboratories. Respondents noted that some COVID-19-related laboratory work had
continued; however, most work was halted. Several respondents noted that university employees were allowed
to enter campus offices to pick up time-sensitive work. Respondents also noted that all internships andexternships for students were canceled or moved to remote work.
The relatively lower number of closed dormitories and student housing was due to institutions reporting somehousing available on campus for students who did not have alternative options. As one institution noted, “[We]kept dorms open only for international students or domestic students with special requests (e.g., insufficient
support at home or at-risk family at home).”3

88% of respondent institutions reported creating a COVID-19 emergency response plan. Over 93% created a
website for students, faculty and staff, providing updates on COVID-19. This represents a significant increase fromthe first IIE COVID-19 Snapshot Survey, when only 37% of institutions reported having a website in place.

Virtual Instruction
99.5% of respondent institutions (all but three) moved in-person classes to remote/virtual instruction. To
support and continue student instruction during this time, 96% of colleges and universities offered virtual officeor advising hours for students. Several institutions also noted offering online tutoring for students. Approximately
51% adapted asynchronous learning options for students in other time zones. Over 74% of institutions altered
their grading policies (e.g., moving to pass/fail, universal pass).
Respondents also shared insights into how their institutions helped both faculty and students adapt to virtual
instruction. Colleges and universities offered faculty technical assistance, delivering webinars and training on
conducting virtual instruction and providing necessary hardware or software to move courses online. Other
institutions reported arranging internet services or hardware loans for students and scholars who did not haveaccess. Some institutions also offered online tutoring for students.

Support to Students, Faculty and Staff
Respondents shared the needs that students, faculty had during the spring semester and the physical andemotional toll that the pandemic had on their campus population. To this extent, campuses provided significant
support beyond academic services.

76%

Provided mental health support specifically for COVID-19

70% Set up COVID-19 student necessity/emergency funds

54%

Provided alternative housing for students outside campus

Several institutions indicated setting up emergency funds for faculty and staff affected by COVID-19, andadditional support for students and faculty for health insurance, and food supplies. Finally, institutions were also
looking ahead to housing for their international students during the summer in the event they would not be able
to return home. As one institution shared, “Students who are not able to return home at the end of [the] term may
remain on campus with a discounted room rate and the possibility of financial assistance for hardship cases.”4

International Students and Study Abroad in Spring 2020
This section analyzes the emergency response that U.S. campuses took amid the COVID-19
outbreak and their assessment international student needs in the U.S. and abroad, as wellas their U.S. students studying abroad.
According to Open Doors, international students make up 5.5% of the student body at U.S. higher education
institutions. In 2018/19, over one million international students were in the United States, with half of these students
coming from China and India.ix
Additionally, nearly 342,000 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit in 2017/18, with the most popular
destinations being the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.x

International Students Unable to Travel to the United States in Spring 2020ixx
138 respondent institutions (31%) indicated 3,144 international students were not able to come to the UnitedStates as a result of travel restrictions related to COVID-19. This finding is similar to the first COVID-19 Snapshot
Survey and suggests that the majority of international students were already on campus for the spring semester.
 International students affected by travel restrictions in spring 2020 represented approximately 0.6% of
the total population of international students at respondent institutions.xi
 The vast majority of international students unable to travel to the United States in spring 2020 were from
Asia, including mainland China (59%), India (15%), Japan (14%) and Taiwan (11%).
100% of all institutions that had students abroad impacted by travel restrictions were in communication with
them.
Most institutions offered these students options for online enrollment or deferment to future semesters. In
comparison to the first COVID-19 Snapshot Survey, a relatively smaller number of institutions offered deferment
to summer 2020, potentially due to the realities of restricted travel continuing through the summer semester. A
lower proportion of respondent institutions also offered refunds, likely due to the availability of online classes.

78%• Distance education classes or independent study37%• Deferment to fall 2020 or beyond

34%• Leave of absence for spring 202019%

• Deferment to summer 20204%

• Refund5

International Students in the United States in Spring 2020
International students on campus have been a priority for U.S. higher education institutions since the outbreak of
COVID-19, and subsequent closures of college facilities and housing have had an impact on the ability of students
to stay on campus. Travel restrictions have also affected students’ ability to return to their home country.

The number of international students that returned home from respondent institutions varied significantly by
the size of the institution (p<.001). Large institutions were more likely to offer housing options to their students,
and as such, more significant numbers of students stayed. The largest institutions (20,000 students and above)reported that between 0% and 20% of their students had left. In contrast, only three institutions reported that
100% of their international students had left, and these were all small institutions with less than 5,000 students.

Institutional Support to International Students on Campus
While respondent institutions noted offering international students the same services provided to their U.S.-based
students (Page 4), they also reported additional services being provided to international students in the springsemester. Over 80% of colleges and universities provided increased communications to international students
on health, safety and wellbeing, and offered guidance on compliance with visa status.

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U.S. Students Studying Abroad for Academic Credit in Spring 2020
Most institutions reported students studying abroad in European countries affected deeply by COVID-19: United
Kingdom (72%), Italy (63%), Spain (71%) and France (60%). According to Open Doors, more than half of all U.S.
students (55%) studying abroad for academic credit in 2017/18 traveled to Europe. xii

Given the prevalence of students in Europe and the early March travel restrictions placed on European countries
due to COVID-19 outbreaks, the vast majority of students (81%) returned to the United States. Most institutions
indicated offering support services to students returning to the United States, such as assisting with travel costs
and coordinating travel back to the United States.

Many students who chose not to return home were offered virtual communication support, including checkins, counseling, returnee meetings, and support or advice via emails. Some institutions also noted helping
students maintain health insurance and sign-up for emergency registration with U.S. embassies. Additionally,
institutions asked students to sign informed consent waivers acknowledging the risks and their decision to remain
abroad.
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Institution Plans for Summer and Fall 2020
We now turn to the future outlook as U.S. higher education institutions prepare for thesummer and fall semesters.
We first asked institutions whether they had made a decision on the mode of instruction for the rest of the calendar
year 2020. While most institutions had confirmed their plans for summer 2020, the fall semester still remains uncertain.

Mode of Instruction in Summer and Fall 2020xiii

While most respondent institutions have made plans about their mode of instruction for summer 2020, plans forfall 2020 are less clear. Anecdotal evidence from open-ended responses suggests that the decision to move
instruction online was made more quickly for the summer because institutions have fewer students enrolled. The
majority of colleges and universities have not made a decision on the mode of instruction for fall, likely due to theevolving nature of COVID-19 and how businesses proceed to open up within states amidst social distancing.
Small institutions (less than 5,000 students) were more likely to make decisions around mode of instruction insummer 2020 than larger institutions (p<.005). The only institution to indicate that in-person instruction would
take place in summer 2020 has less than 5,000 students. Public institutions were significantly more likely to makea decision on summer 2020 than private institutions (p<.01). Public institutions were more likely to choose a hybrid
option for the summer semester.
There were no differences in institutions’ decision-making for the fall semester by institution size, location, or
institution type (public/private). At the time of the survey, the five institutions that indicated they would beentirely virtual in the fall were Master’s Colleges or Universities or Special Focus Institutions. This will likely evolveas institutions make decisions in the coming months.

8International Students in Summer and Fall 2020
The future of international students on U.S. campuses is impacted by their ability to apply
successfully, secure placement, and travel to the United States in order to attend classes.
These are all considerations that U.S. higher education institutions are now making in planning for international student
enrollment, whether in-person on campus or virtual. This section includes data on the plans respondent institutions
are making to conduct outreach and recruitment, process international student applications, and anticipate
international students on their campuses in the semesters to come.

Outreach and Recruitment Effects of COVID-19
The spring months were a time to focus on extensive outreach and recruitment of international students aroundthe world, however the COVID-19 pandemic impacted much of the planned travel for outreach and recruitment.
Over 63% of institutions indicated that recruitment travel was canceled, and 57% of institutions canceled
recruitment events. To address these changes, many colleges and universities (78%) quickly pivoted to offering
virtual means to reach international students and providing ways for students to learn about their institutions
despite the inability to recruit in-person.

Application and Selection of International Students in Summer and Fall
As early as February, U.S. institutions were putting measures in place to ensure that international students would
be able to apply to their campuses, and that, once they applied and were selected, they would have opportunities
for admission. This has come even more into focus as all campuses may face decreasing enrollment numbers in
the face of an economic downturn. Other concerns included students not being able to obtain official transcripts
for applications due to school closures, and students not being able to attend visa interviews. To address some ofthese concerns, 84% of institutions enacted new measures to assist in international student recruitment.

9In addition to the measures reported, institutions also indicated that they were waiving application fees,
acceptance fees and deferment fees, giving students more flexibility to apply and confirm enrollment. Other
institutions also extended their deferment deadlines to give students more time to come to a decision.

Will Students Come to Campus in the Summer?
Respondent institutions shared their outlook on international students being able to come to their campuses inperson in summer 2020. Most institutions indicate that at least some of their international students will not beable to attend in-person this fall, primarily due to delays in obtaining visas in time to travel, or continuing travel
restrictions. It is important to note that this analysis focuses specifically on attendance in-person.
68% of respondent institutions who plan to have international students enrolled in summer 2020 anticipate
some students will not be able to come to their campus.
For the summer semester or term, 78% of institutions plan to offer online enrollment to these students, while
72% are allowing students to defer enrollment until the fall 2020 semester. A smaller proportion (19%) are
offering deferment to summer 2021 or beyond. Only 13% are offering refunds.

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Will Students Enroll and Come to Campus in the Fall?
While international offices are making a concerted effort to promote international student opportunities on theircampus, 88% of respondent institutions anticipate that international student enrollment will decrease in the2020/21 academic year.
International Student Enrollment, Academic Year 2020/21

70% of respondent institutions indicated that they anticipate that some international students will not be able
to come to their campus in-person in fall 2020, primarily due to ongoing COVID-19-related travel restrictions orvisa delays. It is important to note that this question asked specifically about students being able to attend classes
in-person.
A smaller subset of institutions provided specific estimates of how many international students they expected to
be impacted. Our analysis indicates that these institutions anticipate that approximately 16% of theirinternational student body will not be able to come to campus in-person in fall 2020.
Most institutions (75%) are giving students the option to defer enrollment to later in the fall or to spring 2021.
While respondent institutions plan to give options for online enrollment, the relatively lower numbers incomparison to the summer semester indicate that institutions may still be unsure how many of their course
offerings will be online in the fall. As a result, 52% of reported institutions indicate that they plan to offer students
online enrollment in the fall, whereas 42% indicate that they will offer online instruction until the student cancome to campus in-person.

11Study Abroad in Summer and Fall 2020
Study abroad among U.S. students will be determined by the duration of COVID-19 andstudent interest to pursue academic study following the health crisis.
IIE’s historical analysis has indicated that despite health crises in the past—including pandemics such as Ebola, Zika,
and SARS— study abroad has been resilient.xiii However, the outcome of COVID-19 may be further complicated by
the economic implications of the health crisis.

Study Abroad Outlook in Summer and Fallxiv
Most respondent institutions (83%) have proactively canceled summer study abroad programs, likely due toguidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Department of State’s Global Health
Advisory.xv,xvi Similar to how institutions have not finalized decisions on whether fall 2020 classes will be held on
campus or virtually, colleges and universities are still waiting to decide whether fall study abroad programs willproceed. A relatively small proportion (17%) of institutions has made the decision to cancel all or some of theirstudy abroad programs in the fall.

Will Students Study Abroad in the 2020/21 Academic Year?
Many colleges and universities will likely continue following guidance from the CDC and the U.S. Department ofState to assess study abroad risks for the 2020/21 academic year to protect the health and wellbeing of students.
With global travel advisories in effect, a pandemic that may still be ongoing throughout regions globally, andconcerns from students, parents, faculty, and staff, approximately 85% of institutions anticipate a decline in theinterest of students to go abroad in the coming academic year. These potential declines could be exacerbatedby a global recession, which would make study abroad more financially difficult for students.

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Student Interest in Study Abroad, Academic Year 2020/21

While it may take time for U.S. study abroad interest to rebound, there are many study abroad benefits that
institutions can highlight to students once the global health crisis abates. Many colleges and universities havedeveloped institutional partnerships spanning the globe, curriculums focused on global learning objectives, andresearch that demonstrates how study abroad can improve academic outcomes, generate employment benefits,
and positively impact citizenship.xvii

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Other Considerations and Long-term Impacts of COVID-19
U.S. higher education institutions have taken proactive and extraordinary measures to support the students,
faculty and staff at their institutions. In a health crisis of unprecedented scale, the immediate and short-term
decision-making of institutions has allowed instruction to continue. Yet when asked about the long-term
challenges of international education on their campus, most respondents considered several areas.
 Clarity on travel restrictions and options for in-person mobility in future semesters. Most respondents
noted that they would benefit from clearer information regarding travel restrictions to and from theUnited States, status of U.S. embassies and visa issuance, as well as information on other COVID-19
restrictions in other countries. While most respondents know that some of these factors remain uncertain,
their desire to have more data and information to make decisions was clear.
 Financial implications on international education. Respondents not only feel the pressure of futureinternational and study abroad enrollment, but face challenges related to the broader future ofinternationalization on campus. While advocating for student mobility, several respondents noted therisks their departments or universities face financially. It is critical to remain vigilant of the financial
precarity that all departments, and particularly international student and study abroad programs, face. Itis critical to continue to support international students on campus, and to continue to advocate for the
benefits—intercultural, academic, and financial—of having international students on U.S. campuses.
 Support for campus internationalization. The current health pandemic allows institutions to consider
opportunities for international education exchange on campus beyond in-person mobility. Several
institutions noted that best practices for virtual internationalization will be critical to demonstrating theimportance of the global exchange of knowledge and ideas. Institutions can also leverage international
partnerships in place prior to COVID-19 to support internationalization efforts.
Collecting data amid the pandemic, with rapidly evolving news and many unknowns, has brought to light the needfor a continuous and thorough documentation of the response over time. It allows us to study not only theevolution of the crisis but also how we can learn from the decisions made by the U.S. higher education community.
IIE will continue the COVID-19 Snapshot Series in the coming months, with a third survey in June to understandplans U.S. institutions have made for fall 2020. The COVID-19 Snapshot Survey Series will also include the 2020
Fall Enrollment Survey of International Academic Exchange in October 2020. We hope that these surveys willcontinue to inform the field and shed light on international educational exchange trends.

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i Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cases in the U.S., https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/index.html
ii World Health Organization, WHO Timeline: COVID-19, https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
iii White House, Proclamation on Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak,

www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-declaring-national-emergency-concerning-novel-coronavirus-disease-covid-19outbreak
U.S. Department of State, Global Level 4 Health Advisory, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html
iv The IIENetwork is a membership-based community of over 1,300 higher education institutions and other organizations in the UnitedStates and abroad. Open Doors, 2019. For more information, visit www.iie.org/opendoors
v 30 respondents branched out of the survey because they were not affiliated with a U.S. higher education institution
vi National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d18/index.asp
vii Open Doors, 2019viii Ibid
ix Ibidx Ibidxi Using estimate of total number of international students enrolled at institution according to Open Doors 2019
xii Ibidxiii Ibid
xiv Institute of International Education, Open Doors® Infographics, https://www.iie.org/Connect/COVID-19/Infographics
xv Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education with Students Participating in International
Travel or Study Abroad Programs, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/student-foreign-travel.html
xvi U.S. Department of State, Global Level 4 Health Advisory, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html
xvii Farrugia, C. & Sanger, J., Gaining an employment edge: The impact of study abroad on 21 st century skills and career prospects in the
United States, www.iie.org/publications
The Consortium for Analysis of Student Success through International Education, Results, https://www.usg.edu/cassie/results
Mitic, R., Learning Abroad and Engagement at Home for First-Generation College Students: The Relationship of Study Abroad Participation
to Civic Outcomes, https://search.proquest.com/openview/0eb7bc245ee1b770904df2f5fa3a534c/1?pqorigsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y15