Student Union
OPT, H-1 Programs in Danger of Ending?
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.
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Harvard recommends gap year as a strategic move
While some students and parents see the gap year as a waste of time, others see the break in academic studies as valuable for developing maturity, earning money or focusing goals.
MSN.com explains some of the reasons why Harvard – and other prestigious schools in the United States – are recommending that students take a gap year. (December 2024)
Student dilemma: Financial aid applications can expose undocumented parents
Many students in the U.S. rely on financial aid to attend colleges and universities, but as Julia Barajas reports in LAist.com, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid could cause a dilemma for students with an undocumented parent.
If students fill out the application, they will share their parents’ financial information – and potentially raise questions about their immigration status -- with the federal government. If they don’t fill out the application, they won’t get federal financial aid. (December 2024)
FDA: College students using ‘honey packets’ to enhance sex put themselves at risk
With TikTok videos promoting “honey packets,” the supplements marketed as sexual enhancements have become popular on college campuses.
But as Charles Trepany reports in USA Today, the Food and Drug Administration has warned that ingredients in the supplements could be potentially dangerous. (November 2024)
Some universities encourage Chinese students to return before inauguration
Some colleges and universities are encouraging international students to return to the United States – or stay in the country over winter break – to make sure any White House travel restrictions don’t impede their return, the South China Morning Post reports.
Chinese students in the United States have expressed concerns about being allowed back in the country after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. Trump has promised sweeping immigration reforms and mass deportations. (December 2024)
Seven charged in social media drug ring at Rutgers University
An undercover narcotics investigation at Rutgers University in New Jersey led to the arrest of seven people, NBC News reported.
Investigators say they found large amounts of marijuana, LSD, cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, Adderall and Xanax. The drugs were offered on a menu circulated on a private social network of individuals affiliated with school, authorities said. (December 2024)
