Foreign Students Are Still Stranded In The United States

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Foreign Students Are Still Stranded In The United States

Tuan Nguyen majored in computer science and graduated magna cum laude with a 3.84 grade point average from Boise State University — right in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
Unable to find a job amid the pandemic and a struggling economy, the foreign student has been trying to get home to Vietnam, but his home country has closed its borders, leaving him stranded.
"I have been relying on my parents' support, but it has been increasingly straining for them as time goes on, especially when they also have to support my sister who is starting school at a community college in Texas," he wrote on a GoFundMe page that has raised $515 towards rent and travel costs. "It is difficult for me to expose myself like this, but I am asking you kind strangers on the internet for your support.”
Meanwhile, anti-Asian and especially anti-Chinese sentiment has been on the rise since the first coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, coinciding with a rise in hate crimes. In addition to President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, the administration has also tried to place limits on the amount of time students and others can remain in the United States.
The ongoing pandemic is also taking its toll on universities and colleges that are worried international students — who often pay more than American students — aren't going to come back. Public and private universities in the United States could collectively experience a $3 billion revenue decline as international students stay away this fall, according to an April survey reported by PEW.
One day after setting up his GoFundMe, Nguyen posted again, letting well-wishers know that he had been able to pay rent for the next month.
Nguyen is just one of several international students who found themselves stranded after the country’s response drove many countries to close their borders to the United States. Without access to the federal aid or support available to American citizens, these students are struggling to keep themselves afloat.
"Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart to every single one of you," he said. "I have also been continuously applying for jobs, listening to advice, and being in contact with a few employers. I am hopeful, determined, and beyond grateful for everyone who has helped me."
 
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