On top of campus closures, reduced funding and limited air travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign students are awaiting a decision from the Trump administration on whether a popular work program will continue.

Optional Practical Training, or OPT, offers foreign students an extended visa to stay in the United States for up to three years after graduation. It is popular among science, technology, engineering and math students who want to remain in the U.S. after OPT on H-1B work visas.

Several news outlets, including The New York Times, have reported that President Donald Trump is considering ending OPT, H-1B for skilled workers and H-2B for seasonal workers programs.

The worldwide coronavirus has sent billions of people into isolation stood at more than 14%.

There are more than 1 million international students in the U.S. Nearly 370,000 are from China. More than 200,000 are from India. STEM and business are the top fields of study.

Nearly 60% of international students and/or their families pay for their U.S. education out of pocket. Just over 20% pay for their education through employment, according to the nonprofit Institute of International Education.

It’s tough to gain admission to Yale University, and it’s getting even tougher for international students as standout students from around the world set their sights on Yale.

The Yale Dale News, the campus newspaper, takes a look at the situation here.

Read the full story here.

Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.