While the lives of many college students throughout the United States were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study from the University of Missouri found that international college students from Africa were among the most impacted academically.
October 13, 2022
While the lives of many college students throughout the United States were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study from the University of Missouri found that international college students from Africa were among the most impacted academically.
The pandemic severely interfered with their non-immigrant status, as travel limitations, restrictive employment opportunities and worries about family members back home made it difficult for international students to focus on their academic studies. The findings can help universities direct more tailored support to vulnerable populations during times of crisis given the challenges these students face may be different than those of the general student population.
„For international students at MU, particularly those of us from Africa, the pandemic was very hard for us given how far away we were from our families,“ said Ifeolu David, a doctoral student in the MU School of Health Professions and lead author of the study. „With all the restrictions regarding our visa status and limited employment opportunities, you can imagine how the pandemic impacted our mental health and academic focus given our limited social support network.“
David, who came from Sierra Leone to study at MU, collaborated with Wilson Majee, an associate professor in the MU School of Health Professions, to interview 15 African-born international students at MU about how the pandemic impacted their college experience.
