What Does the Future Hold for Study Abroad?
First, students returned to home on their own regard, more likely the regard of their parents. Then, the students in Italy where sent home. Next, it was the students in any other country that were booked flights and told to pack their bags. And finally, it was the students in the dorms that had to leave.
Everyone had to return “home,” when those in charge began to see the true severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. The question of when, or even if, life will return to how we previously knew it, has become the dark adult version of “are we there yet.”
But for many college students, life how we previously knew it included moving to a foreign country for a short time in the coming months. Various abroad programs organized throughout the country and set to take place across several countries, now have an uncertain future, as do the students who were planning to partake.
As of March 31, the U.S. State Department issued a Global Health Advisory at Level 4, meaning do not travel. Their website which is the way many Americans abroad can obtain updates on travel advisories states, “The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.”
Travel advisories were issues country by country until the Global Level 4 Health Advisory was issued. Student began returning to the U.S. as travel restrictions for the countries which they were studying in were put into place.
Now that current abroad students have returned home, class registration at many colleges has begun to open up the question about where many students will be spending their fall semester. Students have planned for the scenario that they will be going abroad come August, but have also had to seriously consider the possibility that travel restrictions will still be in place come August.
A sophomore at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Bridget Reilly was planning to study abroad in Rome this coming fall. However, she decided to personally differ her study abroad experience, hopefully until January. “I ended up realizing that deferring my abroad semester to the spring was the best decision for myself, as sad as I was to go against my ideal plan. Hopefully there will be more information about COVID-19 by January, making it more comforting to travel abroad without any worry. I also didn’t want to go to Rome and find out some tourist events and places were closed due to the pandemic,” said Reilly.
The study abroad department at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., understands that there may be many ways the next few months could play out. “At this time, we are planning for all possible scenarios in the forthcoming semester. We are currently continuing to support students in preparations for their planned fall semester abroad in the case that the situation improves enough for programs to safely operate” said Director of International Programs Kerry Stamp.
Additionally, Vassar has put precautions in order if students are unable to go abroad and need to be provided classes and housing on campus. Stamp explained, “In the meantime, we have made arrangements with colleagues so that these students may participate in Vassar class registration for the fall in the case that they are unable to participate in their program. Our fall housing application has been delayed as well. We are hoping that these steps are easing student’s concerns about needing a backup plan.”
Other schools, however have delayed abroad programs until next year. Mount Saint Mary’s College in Newburgh, N.Y., is one of them. Study Abroad Coordinator Megan Rossi passed along their stated protocol: “Due to the recent impact of COVID-19, programs set to run this year are now being offered in 2021. This is not an easy time for anyone right now and like everyone else, we are hoping the world’s doors will open once again to our students. In the meantime, our students’ health and safety is our top priority and the college will continue monitoring the constant changes and comply with the travel advisories of the United States.”
With the pure uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it will affect school openings in the coming months, many schools are taking different, yet all cautious, approaches to the decision to send students abroad come the fall semester. But with the uncertainty following decisions to keep stay at home orders and when travel bans will be lifted, is entertaining the idea of traveling internationally even reasonable at this stage?
