Trump administration bars international college students if their school’s classes are all online

Colleges could be in a tough spot if they want to keep international students enrolled.

International students who attend college in the United States on visas will be barred from staying in the country if their school’s classes are entirely online during the fall semester, the Trump administration said Monday.

The announcement comes as colleges nationwide are grappling with how to teach students during the coronavirus pandemic, with schools like Harvard announcing all-online learning for the entire school year.

Many colleges will be left in a tough spot by the policy: Reopen their schools to in-person learning despite rising numbers of coronavirus infections or face losing international students and their tuition. Some international students already had left the U.S. when the pandemic broke out and they and their colleges were hoping they could return in the fall, but most are thought to have remained here. Continue reading.