The impact of COVID-19 on UK universities: Appreciating International students studying in the UK

The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly the biggest challenge facing the world’s population. In the UK, a new variant of the virus that spreads more easily and quickly has increased infection rate, leading to a third national lockdown which began on January 4, 2021. The net effect of the pandemic and lockdowns on society is generally negative, and in this essay, I shall focus on international students, a generally overlooked group.

Although International students have been significantly impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK, they have not received the necessary support to get through the difficulties created by the pandemic. To highlight why these students need to be supported, there is a need to understand the contributions that they make. For example, there were roughly 500,000 international students in UK universities in the 2018 academic session. Of these, it is estimated that more than 350,000 arrived from outside the European Union. The contribution of international students to the UK economy and university system, in particular, is now more apparent because of the pandemic, through the loss of revenue. To better grasp the contribution of international students to UK universities and the economy as a whole, it is estimated that more than £10.7 billion was generated from first-year international students in the 2015/16 session. Beyond tuition contribution, first-year international students generated more than £20 billion for the UK economy in 2015/16. Students in London Universities contributed more than £3.4 billion to the nation’s economy and supported more than 40,000 jobs in 2016/17. In total, it is estimated that the benefit of hosting an international student is 14.8 times greater than the total cost spent on the student. As a result of the pandemic’s impact on the recruitment of international students, financial reports show the need for financial support by the government to rescue UK universities. Several universities, during this pandemic, have either initiated redundancy processes or voluntary severance schemes to reduce their workforce over the summer to accommodate the financial deficit reported. This was mainly due to reduced recruitment of international students which translated to reduced financial income for universities.

Most learning are now done online. Photo: J. Kelly Brito

Besides direct financial benefits, international students are essential for recruiting prospective students from their home countries. Most universities recognise this and have implemented chat options for current students to answer questions from prospective students. The experiences of these students will have an impact on recruitment in the coming academic session once borders return to normal—one more reason for universities and the government to pay attention to current international students. Interestingly, however, while universities and the government have continuously focused on recruiting new international students, students already in the country are not given due attention.

Cost of living in the UK

Most international students arrive in the UK with the hope of working part-time while studying. The UK government allows 20 hours of work a week for every international student. It is reported that students can earn up to £100 a week working part-time in the UK. More than 50% of students work to fund extra studies and living expenses. The wage from this means that students can supplement the funding coming from their family back in their home countries.

Since the lockdown, students have lost jobs, sources of income, and face difficult situations in the country. According to the UK Council of International Students Association (UKCISA), there are some welfare support packages for university students during the pandemic. However, no welfare fund has been set up to support international students, particularly as they are not eligible for public funds. Although some universities have set up emergency hardship funds, this is dependent on the decision of each university with no guaranteed financial support for international students, especially those that have lost their part-time job. According to a survey report conducted by the National Union of Students (NUS), international students expressed concern about their accommodations, finances and visas.

This challenging situation is majorly impacted by the high cost of living in the UK. This is mainly because of the currency conversation rate to the British pounds sterling which is high for most other currencies. The undergraduate tuition fee for international students starts around £11, 000 and can go up to £40, 000 for medical degrees. Similarly, postgraduate students’ tuition range from £11, 000 to £30, 000. In addition to these fees, international students are faced with the cost of living within the UK, which can be up to £12,000 per year. These fees may be quite high for many students especially after conversion to their local currencies. The impact of COVID-19 globally means that several students’ source of funding from their home countries have been disrupted, making continued stay in the UK challenging.

Isolation impact

“Although International students have been significantly impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK, they have not received the necessary support needed to get through the difficulties caused by the pandemic. ”

Measures such as social distancing have further increased the isolation faced by international students. This is even more relevant for international students who have already reported experiencing isolation due to sojourning in a foreign country, away from their friends and family. More than 27,000 international students in the UK live without their parents or guardians. The community of friendship usually established with other students has been disrupted due to social distancing and isolation. The UK government and universities have, unfortunately, not supported international students adequately during this period. In a focus group session organised for students online, it was noted that most students expressed fear of living in the UK, touching on the impact of isolation, their source of part-time income, their student experience, and their mental health. A student during supervision talked about how her Master’s degree programme has been mostly online due to COVID-19 and social distancing. In her view, students do not feel like they have gained the full experience of studying in the UK which is a major reason for coming to study in the country in the first place.

Also, part of the importance of coming to study in the UK for international students is acquiring working experience that can contribute to securing high paying jobs in their home countries. Coming to secure a degree in the UK is a capital intensive investment from which these students expect returns, for instance, through securing jobs in their home countries. One of the ways of improving their prospects is by working part-time while studying. For example, a PhD student whose research is on children with challenging behaviours can work as a part-time support worker. This work experience is not only valuable to her research but also increases the prospects of securing a job in her home country where this experience is needed. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, this valuable practical experience will be lacking for many students.

Mental health implication

The experience of social distancing and COVID-19, in general, have been reported to increase the mental health burden of many people. Mental health scholars have warned of impending mental health burdens that will emerge in the aftermath of COVID-19. A systematic review of the literature that has been conducted (yet to be published) found no study on the mental health impact of COVID-19 among international students. However, the review identified studies that reported an increase in mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, particularly among students and youths. The impact of social distancing and isolation on the mental health of these students needs to be thoroughly researched as early indicators show possible effects.

Most universities in the UK moved to online learning due to the increasing cases of COVID-19, however, there is a dearth in research aimed at understanding the mental health impact of this new policy. This is important because students and international students are socially inclined, and generally need to socialise with peers, friends, and acquaintances. Night outs and other social activities are currently prohibited which might impact their mental health. This aspect requires urgent support and intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of lockdown on the mental health of these students.

Online delivery and learning

International students that are within the UK have been subjected to online lecture delivery and learning. This is different in comparison to the face-to-face lecture delivery style used by most universities in the UK. There have been challenges reported as a result of this change in lecture style—one example is the reduced engagement opportunity available in an online platform which can be difficult for international students. The students have tendencies to engage less due to language barrier, lack of familiarity with conversations around the UK context, and differences in lecture style. Thus, academic staff across UK universities need to focus on these students to ensure engagement. Of course, the use of breakout rooms in online classes helps to increase engagement when working with smaller groups of students but international students still need to be encouraged to engage and carried along in classes. Effective online learning depends on access to computer hardware equipment such as personal computers, monitors, mice, headphones and study spaces. In a focus group session conducted with some of my colleagues, we found that most international students experienced challenges in accessing lecture materials as many joined lectures on their phones which have limited functionalities. International students reported mainly using university computers in the library for assessments before lockdown. However, the closure or reduced hours of libraries meant that many of these students struggled to complete assessments.

In conclusion, the introduction of travel restrictions to the UK by high student sender countries such as India, along with the UK’s requirement for a negative COVID-19 test for all arriving flights to the country, might play important roles in student’s recruitment from the international market. Also, the effect of BREXIT is yet to be known as the new set of European students will be categorised as international students. The hope is for the UK to have gone past the effects of the pandemic by summer of 2021 for international recruitment to return to anything close to normal. Besides, the cancellation of GCSE and A-level by the government is expected to impact home student recruitment this summer which makes the international market even more important. The government must therefore explore how welfare-support can be offered to international students. The experiences of these students in the current academic year will determine the outcome of recruitment in the next round; international student communities are well connected. Good world-class experience of studying in the UK at this critical time will positively influence prospective students considering studying in the UK. However, less desirable experiences will similarly impact negatively on recruitment and enrolment into UK universities and higher education in general. Although a record 570,475 applications were accepted to study undergraduate courses in the 2020 cycle, matching or surpassing such record in 2021 is dependent on how COVID-19 is handled by the government and universities at this crucial period. It is hoped that the introduction of the post-study visa for international students will be enough to attract needed numbers to the UK above other countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States; only time will tell.