COVID-19: Survey shows 40% of students changing plans to study abroad

Olabisi Deji-Folutile

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As more countries intensify efforts to tackle the spread of coronavirus and the rising death toll from the pandemic, growing number of prospective international students are said to be muting the idea of changing their plans to study abroad plans, according to a survey by the University World News.
Studyportals, the Dutch-based global study choice platform, in a report released on April 14, showed that 40 per cent of potential international students that responded to their latest survey said they were changing their plans. This is said to be up from 31 per cent three weeks ago.

The figure rose as more countries introduced tighter lockdowns to tackle the spread and rising death toll from the coronavirus, according to the latest weekly tracking survey.

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Studyportals surveyed an overall sample of 850 students, from key countries known for globally mobile students, including Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Ghana and Bangladesh as the number of confirmed cases and deaths from the coronavirus soared in the United States and many European countries.

It shows the number of prospective mobile students saying they are sticking with their original plans to study abroad falling from 69% when surveyed towards the end of March to 60% in the week of 6 April.

This comparative period coincided with the rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 in key destination countries for internationally mobile students such as the United Kingdom, Spain and the United States.

Of the 307 students telling Studyportals they were reconsidering their options – 152 want to postpone their enrolment until next year or the year after, 128 were considering enrolling on an online course, 66 were now not planning to go abroad and would enrol at a university in their home country, 36 were considering a different country and 33 were not going to study at all. Respondents could give multiple-choice answers.