Harvard University has announced that all learning will take place remotely and tuition will remain at nearly $ 50,000, as federal immigration authorities say international students will be forced to leave the US if their schools They offer classes completely online this fall.
In a statement released by the university, officials said “all course instruction (undergraduate and graduate) for the 2020-21 academic year will be delivered online.”
Harvard said it will invite freshmen to live on campus, but classes will remain online.
“Students will learn remotely, whether they live on campus or not,” school administrators said.
Harvard University has announced that all learning will take place remotely and tuition will remain at nearly $ 50,000, as federal immigration authorities say international students will be forced to leave the US if their schools offer classes completely online this fall
Unlike Harvard, Princeton University offers a 10 percent discount to students, as classes are primarily online. Harvard tuition will remain at almost $ 50,000
The university said it will bring up to 40 percent of college students to campus, including all freshmen, for the fall semester.
“Assuming we maintain a 40% density in the spring semester, we would bring a class back again, and our priority right now is to bring seniors to campus,” the statement said.
“We will also invite back to campus those students who cannot successfully learn in their current home learning environment.”
Unlike Harvard, Princeton University offers a 10 percent discount to students, as classes are primarily online. Harvard’s enrollment will remain the same.
Meanwhile, international students have been the target of new guidelines that were issued on Monday.
The guidelines, issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), provide additional pressure for universities to reopen, even amid growing concerns about the recent spread of COVID-19 among adults. young boys.
President Donald Trump has insisted that schools and universities return to in-person instruction as soon as possible.
Shortly after the guide was published, Trump repeated on Twitter that schools should reopen this fall, adding that Democrats want to keep schools closed “for political reasons, not for health reasons.”
‘They think it will help them in November. Wrong, people understand it! Trump wrote.
Under the updated rules, international students must take at least some of their classes in person.
No new visas will be issued to students in schools or programs that are fully online. And even at universities that offer a combination of classroom and online courses this fall, international students will be banned from taking all of their classes online.
It creates an urgent dilemma for thousands of international students who were stranded in the United States last spring after the coronavirus forced their schools to move online.
Meanwhile, international students have been the target of new guidelines that were issued on Monday. The guidelines say international students will be forced to leave the US if their schools choose to offer only online instruction. Students are photographed at Princeton University
President Donald Trump has insisted that schools and universities return to in-person instruction as soon as possible.
Those who attend schools that remain online must “leave the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction,” according to the guide.
The American Board of Education, which represents university presidents, said the guidelines are “horrifying” and will create confusion as schools search for ways to reopen safely.
Of particular concern is a provision that students will not be exempt from the rules, even if an outbreak forces their schools online in the fall.
It’s unclear what would happen if a student ended up in that setting but faced travel restrictions from their home country, said Terry Hartle, the council’s senior vice president.
“It is going to cause a lot of confusion and uncertainty,” said Hartle. “ICE is clearly creating an incentive for institutions to reopen, regardless of whether or not the circumstances of the pandemic warrant it.”
The NAFSA international education group criticized the rules and said that schools should have the authority to make correct decisions for their own campuses.
He said the guide “is detrimental to international students and puts their health and well-being and that of the entire higher education community at risk.”
Nearly 400,000 foreigners received student visas in the 12-month period ended September 30, less than 40 percent compared to four years earlier. School administrations partly blame the delay in visa processing.
US universities already expected a sharp decline in international enrollment this fall, but losing all international students could be disastrous for some.
Many depend on the tuition earnings of international students, who generally pay higher tuition fees. Last year, universities in the United States attracted nearly 1.1 million students from abroad.
Trump critics quickly attacked the new guidelines. Sen Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, said “the cruelty of this White House knows no bounds.”
“Foreign students are being threatened with a choice: risk their lives by going to class in person or being deported,” Sanders said in a tweet.
“We must confront Trump’s bigotry. We must keep all of our students safe.
Dozens of universities have said they plan to offer at least some in-person classes this fall, but some say it is too risky.
The University of Southern California last week reversed the course in a plan to bring students to campus, saying classes will be held primarily or exclusively online.
Immigration authorities suspended certain requirements for international students at the start of the pandemic, but universities were awaiting guidance on what would happen this fall.
ICE notified schools of the changes Monday and said a formal rule would be established.
The announcement was the latest attack related to the Trump administration’s pandemic against legal immigration.
Last month, authorities extended the ban on new green cards to many people outside of the US and expanded the freeze to include many with temporary work permits, including at high-tech companies, multinational corporations, and temporary employers.
The administration has long sought deep cuts to legal immigration, but the goal was elusive before the coronavirus.
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