By Dr Anil Varughese, PhD and Dr Saul Schwartz, PhD, Carleton University — The Conversation, 24 January 2022
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, students in Canadian universities and colleges faced many challenges. Classes moved online, students were asked to leave campus residences, and many lost jobs or faced reduced work hours. While some domestic students could return home, many international students could not, either because of the cost or because of border restrictions. Media reports suggested the pandemic had made international students more vulnerable to adverse events and posed unique challenges for them.
The number of international students in Canadian colleges and universities grew rapidly over the past decade, with 388,782 international post-secondary student enrolments in fall 2019, up from 142,170 in fall 2010. More than half of all international students come from either India or China. Universities and colleges have made strenuous efforts to attract international students, who pay three to four times the tuition of domestic students.
A survey conducted in fall 2020 of around 1,000 international students revealed intense psychological, academic and financial vulnerabilities. About 55 percent of respondents were at risk of depression and about 50 percent at risk of an anxiety disorder. Approximately 30 percent reported not adapting well to online instruction, with almost two-thirds citing lack of interaction with fellow students as the main obstacle. Nearly 80 percent were either “concerned” or “very concerned” about their ability to pay for their education. Students reported feeling they were not receiving adequate value for their fees. The authors call for universities and colleges to develop better, more easily accessible and culturally competent mental health services targeted to the needs of international students, and for targeted and sustained financial support including emergency grants and loans. This article has been republished under Creative Commons licence.