Coronavirus + Immigration Hurdles + Anti-Chinese Racism = Loss of $15,000,000,000 in Tuition
One of the realities emerging from the pandemic crisis is how much the US colleges, universities, AND private schools rely on Chinese students for their revenues. And one of the many adverse impacts on revenues as a result of the coronavirus is the potential loss of these students. An article by Jodi Xu Klein earlier this week in a Chinese-American publication described the current enrollments of Chinese students and the financial impact should they withdraw from school:
China has remained the largest source of international students for the US in the past decade, with 369,548 Chinese students enrolled in US higher education programmes in 2018, more than three times the count from nine years earlier, according to the Institute of International Education. The group together contributed US$15 billion in tuition payments.
University administrators told the authors of the report that cancelled recruitment events in China and an inability to work with local recruitment agencies could further depress Chinese student enrolment in US university programmes.
The blow will be severe as international students typically pay full tuition, with only 17 per cent receiving grants or scholarships from their institution, according to a report published by World Education News & Reviews in December.
The article noted that the enrollment of Chinese students has declined over the past few years, citing the political climate as a factor:
Chinese students and scholars have attracted scrutiny from the Trump administration, with claims some could be helping Beijing to obtain trade and technological secrets. US lawmakers are also concerned about China’s growing ambition through effort to influence through its own narratives globally.
What wasn’t mentioned but is undoubtedly a factor in the minds of some prospective Chinese students if the emerging anti-Chinese racism that has been inflamed with Covid-19, which the President initially (AND erroneously) referred to as “the Chinese virus”. This nomenclature along with many conspiracy theories that the President did nothing to squelch led many Americans to believe that China perpetrated this pandemic with the desire of taking over the world. He later stated he would no refer to the virus in that fashion… but his mission was accomplished and anti-Chinese racism was unleashed in some parts of the country.
The major colleges and universities may be able to offset the loss of tuitions from Chinese students, but some small private schools and colleges may find themselves in a predicament if the usual number of full paying students from China do not return or enroll for the first time. And from my perspective, the pandemic itself was a completely uncontrollable factor… but the toxic political landscape MIGHT be fixed if we can get voters to understand that we are now a global village and that reality is irreversible. We all depend on each other and, consequently, we all need to work interdependently.
Vote even if you think it doesn’t matter…. and be grateful you still can!
Network Schools - Wayne Gerseny to https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/03/magazine/thomas-piketty-interview u w B l.html?h I’ll smid=url-share the Is for 