Abstract
Covid-19 –Impact on Higher Educations Revenue from International students’ -A Review
Dr. Nisha Singh, Livingstone College, NC
Dr. Chandra Singh, Voorhees College, SC
The effects of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on the Academic institutions were
disastrous. Universities and colleges have witnessed the unprecedented catastrophic impact of
the Coronavirus. International students in the higher education sector in the United States have
carved a niche in the financial contribution of higher education. The international students' share
is 56% of the total tuition revenue in U.S higher education. The United States of America,
Britain, Australia, and the other European states have 30% revenue from international students.
Most of the tuition fees have paid by the students or their families. Scholarships, aids, or
donations contribute not much from the USA to international. The international students
contributed $39.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, and GDP was 20.5 trillion. The
International students' economic contribution is close to 2% of US GDP. Due to Covid -19, the
growth of international students in the United States declined from 6.3% to 5.5 % in the above
period. The declines in fees for higher education were from $188 billion in 2019 to $189 billion
in 2020 and $167 billion in 2021. This paper analyzes the Covid-19 - impact on global diversity
and inclusion, its prospect, its impact beyond economics, its constraints and scope, and further
positive steps to overcome the current situation.
Keywords: Indian students, financial contribution, the United States Higher Education,
Growth rate, Open door.

Methodology:
The data sources are the United States Census 2010 - 2021, government data, authentic websites,
and published research studies. The data sources are reviewed and analyzed to conclude with the
help of graphs and tables. International student enrollment data is from Open Doors, published
by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
Literature Review
According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO,
2018), the total number of international students was 5.3 million in 2017, and 5.3 million out of
1.04 million go to the united states for higher education. Sending countries of the international
students are China, India, Germany, South Korea, Nigeria, France, Saudi Arabia, and several
Central Asian countries. The USA is a favorite destination for thousands of young international
students to add a foreign degree to their curriculum vitae. The International students’ enrollments
are continuously dropping since 2018, and due to the covid pandemic, the situation is worst
now(table#1).
Table # 1 –International Student Enrollment to the United States - A Ten-Year Trend

Year
2021-2022
2020-2021
2019-2020
2018-2019
2017-2018
2016-2017
2015-2016
2014-2015
2013-2014
2012-2013
Sources;

Total International
Students in thousands
914,095
1075496
1095299
1094792
1078822
1043839
974926
886052
819644

Total Students U.S.
Enrollment in
thousands
19,744,000
19720000
19828000
19831000
20185000
20264000
20300000
21216000
21253000

%
Annual %
international change
4.00
4.63
-15.11
5.45
-1.27
5.52
0.05
5.52
1.50
5.34
3.40
5.15
7.10
4.80
10.00
4.18
8.10
3.86

Open doors report on International Education Exchange. Retrieved from
http://www.opendoorsdata.org-1948/49-2020/21
The International students’ tuition contributions are 28% of the total tuition contribution, and
their population contribution is 12%. The total number of international students at the U.S.
universities dropped from 1,075,496 to 914,095 between 2019—2021, which is a 15% drop in
international students’ enrolment.
International students' financial contributions are tuition, room and board, and other educationrelated expenses (NAFSA, 2020a). Due to the current pandemic, the United States Higher
Education at least lost the United States $3billion since fall (Cantwell, 2015).
Table #2- International Students Annual Expenses
Activities
Accommodation Type
Tuition revenue per month
Hostels and Guesthouses
Shared Rental
On campus
Homestay
Rental
Internet/phone
Rent
Electricity/gas
Transport

Expenses
Average Cost in US Dollar
2190.83 per month
$45 to $100 a night
$470 to $3,600 per month
$800 to $900 each month
$600-$3,000 per month
$450 per month
$35 - 60 per month
$104 - 208 per month
$50 – 100 per month
$36 per month

Sources-https://www.idp.com/uae/study-inusa/cost-of-study/
In the public higher education, most of the revenue was from the federal, state governments, and
private higher education was the major revenue contribution from the tuition between 1987 and
2003. Public higher education most of the revenue resources are from the federal and state
governments and private higher education is the major revenue resource from the tuition. The
level of tuition revenue per student at private institutions in 1987 was substantially higher than
the level of public institutions in 2013. The value at private institutions has $20,000 per student,

and the public university has $9300 by 2013. International students are contributing to a major
portion of the tuition revenue. The NAFSA estimated that international students' economic
contribution increased from $2.4 billion to $40 billion between 1987 from 2013. California and
New York are on the top with more than $5 billion in revenue. (Source: Institute of International
Education Open Doors Report, 2015).
Table # 3 -International students in USA-their primary source of funding
Sources
% 2013-14 % 2015-16 % 2018-2020
Personal and family
64
66.5
56.23390764
US college and University
22
17
16.95958744
Foreign government and university
6
7.4
3.533646448
Current Employment
5
6.6
21.1094508
Foreign Private sponsor
1
0.9
0.603849798
US government
1
0.4
0.173139563
US Private sponsor
1
0.3
0.239345454
International Organization
0
0.2
0.076062386
Other Sources
1
0.7
1.071010467
Sources: https://www.envisageinternational.com/blog/2013/03/12/understanding-primarysources-of-funding-for-international-students/
It is explained in table# 2, that for international students in the USA, their majors' source of
funding is personal and family who are helping American students to lower their tuition fees.
Also, the presence of International students creates a competitive environment, which helps
improve the academic quality in higher education.

Introduction
The positive economic implications of the international students are remarkable for both higher
academic institutions and local communities. For more than 70 years, the number of students

from abroad at U.S. colleges and universities had been continuously rising, from about 25,000
students in 1948-1949 to more than 1 million in recent years. The international students’
enrollment started to decline before the current covid-19 pandemic, and covid -19 made it worse.
New Data shows that in Fall 2020 overall international student enrollment declined by 16%, and
in 2022 it fell by 43%. The number of international students dropped by15 % since the 20202021 academic year to about 914,000. (That number includes students taking online classes from
U.S. schools, whether on campus or from overseas.). The impact on U.S. students studying
abroad was even more devastating. Colleges shuttered their overseas programs and rushed more
than 50,000 students home in spring 2020 as borders closed and the virus spread. Then summer
programs collapsed, dropping 99 percent.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guidance in July 2020, the notfor-profit private academic institutions, which were more dependent on tuitions revenue, is
concerned about institutional financial survival and no choice rather than to reopen for in-person
if they intended to enroll international students. International students played a very important
role in US higher education. The best students are coming from all over the world and benefiting
from their academic research and scientific innovation. The post-COVID-19 environment will be
a critical turning point for international education and the global engagement of U.S. colleges
and universities. United States Immigration, Visa, and Student and Exchange Visitor Information
System (SEVIS) policies need to be well-crafted and implemented to attract international
students. United states need to implement more attractive international student policy to attract
more international students. Meanwhile, other countries are actively competing for – and
winning – talented international students with policies that reflect the value these students bring
not only to colleges and universities, but to job creation, research, and innovation.

International students add diversity to a college or university, enriching the experience of other
students on campus. Schools with a strong global presence often have a wealth of cultural groups
and events, allowing international students an opportunity to share their food, music and
traditions with their U.S. peers. The 60 % of the international is with New York University,
University of Southern California, Columbia University, Arizona State University, and
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign.
Table # 4 –The Economic Benefits of International Student to the United States - A TenYear Trend
Year

International
Students

Job Support

Economic
Contribution

Fall 2007
623805
238,649
15,543
Fall 2008
671616
262,459
17,656,746,727
Fall 2009
690901
288,641
18,775,610,942
Fall 2010
723727
290,735
20,231,793,355
Fall 2011
764495
294,699
21,806,604,581
Fall 2012
819644
313,690
23,995,610,641
Fall 2013
886052
340,004
26,729,931,533
Fall 2014
974926
373,380
30,470,654,497
Fall 2015
1,043,839
400,812
32,797,331,691
Fall 2016
1,078,822
450,331
36,864,659,607
Fall 2017
1,09,3448
455608
39,000,586,343
Fall 2018
1,094,032
458,290
40.478,115.759.00
Fall 2019
1,074,215
415,990
38,685,062,256
Fall 2020
914,095
400,000
38,000,000,000
Fall 2021
28,400,000,000
https://www.nafsa.org/policy-and-advocacy/policy-resources/nafsa-international-studenteconomic-value-tool-v2#trends_reports

Table#5 International Students Who Became Founders of Billion-Dollar Companies
COMPANY COVALUE
NAME
UNIVERSITY/DEGREE
FOUNDED/FOUNDED EMPLOYEES OFCOMPANY
Noubar Afeyan MIT, Ph.D. Biochemical Engineering ModernaTherapeutics
645
$7.0Billion
Ash Ashutosh
Penn State, M.S. Computer Science
Actifio
400
$1.1 Billion
John Collison
Harvard
Stripe
1,100
$20Billion

Patrick
Collison*
Nicolas
Desmarais
Louay Eldada
Borg Hald
David Hindawi
Arvind Jain
Tomer London
Soham
Mazumdar
Elon Musk
Adam
Neumann
Dhiraj Rajaram
Daniel Saks
Mario
Schlosser
Eric Setton
Bipul Sinha*
Vlad Tenev
Ragy Thomas
Andrew
Thompson

MIT

Stripe

1,100

$20 Billion

Amherst, B.A. Economics & Pol. Sc
Columbia University, B.S., M.S.,
Ph.D., Electrical Engineering
Stanford, MBA,U. of Michigan,
B.B.A
U.C.-Berkeley, Ph.D. Oper.Research

AppDirect

700

$1.0 Billion

Quanergy Systems

250

$1.6 Billion

Medallia
Tanium

1300
750

$1.3 Billion
$3.5 Billion

Univ.of Washington, M.S., Comp.Sci
Stanford, M.S. Electrical Engineering
Univ. of Illinois, Urbana Champaign,
M.S., Computer Science
Univ. of Penn., B.A., Econ & Physics,
Wharton School, B.S. Business

Rubrik
Gusto

1200
600

$1.3 Billion
$1.1 Billion

Rubrik

1200

$1.3 Billion

SpaceX

7000

$21Billion

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
Wayne State, M.S. Computer
Engineering, Univ. of Chicago, MBA
Harvard, M.A. Finance & Accounting

WeWork

6000

$20.2Billion

Mu Sigma
AppDirect

3500
700

$1.5 Billion
$1.0 Billion

Harvard, MBA
Stanford, Ph.D. and M.S. Electrical
Engineering
Wharton School, MBA
Stanford,B.S., Math
NYU, MBA

Oscar HealthInsurance

850

$2.7 Billion

500
1200
250
1400

$1.0 Billion
$1.3 Billion
$5.6 Billion
$1.8 Billion

Stanford, M.A., Education
Univ.of Washington, Software
Product Management, Ferris State
Univ., ISM
Cornell, M.S. Engineering
Cornell Univ., Ph.D., nanotechnology

Proteus Digital Health

300

$1.1 Billion

240
900
250*

$1.2Billion
$1.0 Billion
$1.6 Billion

715

$1.0 Billion

Tango
Rubrik
Robinhood
Sprinklr

Arean van
Veelen
OfferUp
Renaud Visage
Eventbrite
Tianyue Yu*
Quanergy Systems
Michelle
Zatlyn
Harvard, MBA
Cloudflare
Sources: http://nfap.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2018-BILLION-DOLLARSTARTUPS.NFAP-Policy-Brief.2018.
International Students as Entrepreneurs

According to the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), 1 out of 4-billion-dollar
startup companies were established by international graduating students. These startup
companies are making more than 50 of 91, which is 55% of new companies' revenue in the

United States and creating. These startup companies created more than 1,400 jobs per
company. Also, in 75 of the 91 companies, at least one international graduating or immigrant
was in charge of a key management position, such as CEO, Chief Technology Officer (CTO),
and Vice President (Study International Staff, 08 Nov 2018)
Entering the United States as an international student has shown to be a good avenue for both
immigrants and America for starting successful U.S. companies. Nearly one-quarter (2 0 of 91)
of the billion-dollar startup companies had a founder who first came to America as an
international student. Cloudflare’s Michelle Zatlyn has noted obtaining Optional Practical
Training was crucial to the company’s founding. Today, Cloudflare has 715 employees
(Table#5).
Conclusion:
The International students not only supported financially to higher educations, but also generated
more than 458,000 jobs every year and every seven international students, but three U.S. jobs are
also created and supported by spending occurring in the higher education, accommodation,
dining, retail, transportation, telecommunication, and health insurance sectors. International
Students' Economic Contribution is $40 billion, which is 2% of the United States GDP.
Furthermore, they are contributing United States economy through their, innovation,
entrepreneurial action, and creating job opportunities to support the United States economy.
International the students enrollment started to decline in 2018 due to covid-19, policies, and
travel restrictions, international students’ enrollment in the United States dropped almost 16% in
2020-2021.
The study identified that the COVID 19 pandemic had huge devastating impacts on international
student enrollment in the United States higher education. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, higher
education shifted from in-person instructions to e-learning, which kept higher education
economically at a disadvantage. Higher education institutions lost a lot of revenue, which they

have from international students' such as housing, food, tuition, etc. The US needs to introduce
effective policies to protect and support international students in the country from challenges and
assure them that the United States is still the preferred study abroad destination for them.
After discovering the Covid-19 vaccination, higher educational institutions are resuming to
normal with some restrictions. It is a new normal for international education at U.S. colleges and
universities. Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) policies need to be
redrafted based on current needs to increase international students’ number in the United States
higher education. In the last five years, the United States lost interest in international students
coming to the country for higher education, and other countries are actively competing and
winning. International students not only financially contribute but also create jobs, research, and
innovation. The policy changes will save jobs and ensure that the world’s best and the brightest
continue to contribute to America’s classrooms and competitiveness.

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