Coronavirus, with the passage of every single hour, is proving itself to be one of the biggest threats to the endurance of mankind. Not only has it shackled humans inside the four walls of their house, but it has also taken away from them their source of earning. Exactly, many people across the world have lost their jobs due to the global shut down and the USA is actually in a bad shape due to the negative impacts of this deadly virus. The circumstances thus formed are putting across major hurdles in front of the people across America and the education sector is no different as the students and the profits generated from the industry can be seen getting affected.
However, one thing that the education industry has to keep intact is the flow of providing education to the students whether it is through the offline or the online medium. In such a case, the burden comes on the students and their parents, who have to bear the fees of the college. This is why, it would not be wrong to say that more than the entire education sector, it is the receiving end- the students who are at a major loss in terms of finances.
There is no denying the fact that students cannot do without their education, but at the same time because of the increasing financial losses and job instability, international students in the US are facing difficulties in paying their college fees. The reason why international students are more affected is because of their dependency on many factors which demand high financial input while living in a foreign land. Thus, there is an immediate need of action from the management of the USA colleges and universities, to decide on the relaxation that should or should not be provided, especially to international students.
This article in particular talks about 4 major reasons, why the fees of international students should be relaxed.
- No jobs to survive: The foreign students studying in the international universities majorly survive on part-time jobs, which they do during their study course. This is the major source of their earnings. Additionally, they do the jobs so as they do not want to impose any burden on their parents at home and they themselves become capable to smoothly take care of their livelihood. However, with this sudden outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, every business has come to a halt, confining the students to their rented accommodations in the foreign lands. They cannot move out of their homes, hence unable to earn the bread and butter for themselves. In such a situation, it is very tough for them to take out money for the fees for their colleges along with their daily survival needs. Moreover, work from home is not an option for every single international student living in the different parts of the USA. It is because not every nature of the job is eligible for work for home positions, which has absolutely proven to be a great loss for every single student living in the far off lands.
- Added interest on the college debt: In addition to the fees of the college, students have the burden of paying off the bank interest on the student loan they have taken for their USA college fees. In a situation, where the students are unable to pull off expenses for their daily needs, it is certainly going to be tough for them to pay the loan amount. This would, therefore, add on to their debt amount and would prove to be a troublesome issue for them. Also, this added amount can certainly put a toll on the student’s financial conditions and can put their mind under the additional pressure of the unpaid debt amount. Therefore, to provide relief to the students in this worrisome period, the USA colleges and universities can prove to be the divine messenger by reducing their fees monthly or quarterly fees.
- Undefined global lockdown: Moreover, one very stressful factor, which adds to the tension of the students, is the uncertainty of the time period for which this lockdown is going to last. The unexpected burst out of this pandemic condition has put everyone under extreme conditions of financial crunch, where they are unsure about the inflow of the finances for daily survival. In such tense situations, where the students living in the far off land are doubtful about the fulfillment of their daily needs, it is obviously tough for them to pay off their college humongous college fee amounts. Also, if the students will invest their available funds in the college fees then it would be tough for them to manage their daily needs and would eventually fall short of money.
- The highly expensive living of the state: It is an unquestionable fact that the cost of living and jobs for international students in the USA is truly high. Not only do they have to buy their daily essentials but also they need to pay for their accommodation, which is certainly a concerning issue for every foreign student. Furthermore, the pressure of fees can pose an added strain on the minds of the students, which can even affect their mental and physical health. In addition to this, the need of the hour is that every person should feed himself with a high protein diet, which can prove to be a challenge for the international students, provided such heavy burdens of expenses are imposed on their young shoulders.
Therefore, it is very important for the universities to take some action on providing some concessions in the fees of the international students for the coming 3-4 months. If the college management thinks in this particular direction and works upon some measures to provide an ease to the student’s fees, then it can certainly ward off tensions from the mind of the students and allow them to pursue their online education with a lot of ease and serenity.