“All the providers who are recruiting understand that probably your most valuable recruiting device is word-of-mouth from your existing students, and an absence of that for three or four years has been challenging,” founder of GoAbroad Troy Peden told The PIE News.
“I’ve talked to lots of universities who used to tell students to talk to this student or go to this group on campus but that just doesn’t exist anymore. It’s like day one of study abroad for us,” he added.
Study abroad providers, Terra Dotta and IFSA, agreed that the absence of study abroad alumni who serve as informal ambassadors and mentors for other cohorts preparing to go abroad was harming recruitment efforts among some of their college partners.
“Their involvement has inspired a broader range of students to consider studying abroad, particularly those from historically underserved populations and those in rigid academic programs with small windows to go abroad, such as Engineering,” Travis Ulrich, Terra Dotta SVP enterprise solutions, told The PIE.
“Without these alumni, campuses miss out on these contributions, and potential participants lack relatable role models and advocates who can demystify the study abroad experience and help address barriers to participation, he added.
The number of US students studying abroad recovered to 188,753 in 2021-22, just over half of pre-pandemic levels, according to the most recent Open Doors data.
As of 2023, less than 6% of all US college students studied abroad, which stakeholders have warned will have damaging implications for America’s soft power and for international business opportunities.
Meanwhile, new enrolments of international students coming to US universities recovered much faster, exceeding pre-pandemic levels in 2022-23 and marking the fastest growth rate in 40 years.
Covid played havoc with student finances, so we and others have increased the number of scholarships we offer
Bill Gertz, AIFS
According to a spokesperson from the IFSA, colleges that relied on alumni ambassadors have felt their absence in recruiting current students since the pandemic.
“Alumni ambassadors are an important part of recruitment … Their authentic stories and personal growth narratives often resonate deeply with prospective students.
“Some of our partner universities would use these ambassadors in deep and meaningful ways through various initiatives such as involvement in social media, host student info sessions, study fairs. Not having the recent student voice has definitely left a gap,” they said.
The importance of social media – Instagram in particular – was highlighted by Peden, who said that providers are trying to strengthen their brand awareness in students’ social media accounts.
As well as the absence of alumni ambassadors, Covid has caused fewer on-site study abroad fairs and fewer university staff, according to AIFS Chairman Bill Gertz, though he remained positive about the resilience of the sector.
“So many times I thought study abroad would not recover. But it always has!” Gertz told The PIE.
At AIFS, they have stepped up efforts to double the number of alumni helping on campus, and to provide more advising services to students, said Gertz.
“Covid played havoc with student finances, so we and others have increased the number of scholarships we offer and kept program fees reasonable,” Gertz added.
The number of students studying abroad with AIFS has recovered to 2019 levels due to a diversification of options, including “more internships, more short-term programs, more faculty led programs and fewer semester opportunities”.
ISEP, which enables student mobility across 55 countries, developed a digital ambassador program and virtual alumni panels to share student experiences during the pandemic. It also continued to send some students abroad in 2020, according to Zach Tobin, ISEP director.
“Beyond student stories, we prioritised our relationships with our university partners and provided opportunities for professional development and learning. Overall, we’ve seen steady growth in student participation since the initial drop during global shutdowns,” Tobin told The PIE.
Without study abroad alumni, potential participants lack relatable role models and advocates who can demystify the study abroad experience
Travis Ulrich, Terra Dotta
Denison University in Ohio has also doubled down on recruitment efforts, hosting two yearly send-off events for students to connect with study abroad alumni in addition to its annual off-campus study fair, said Kelly McGee, director of Denison University’s global programs.
It has also simplified its study abroad payment plan, implementing a home fee financial structure that largely coincided with the dissipation of the half on travel during the pandemic, making study abroad more accessible and causing an uptick in applications after Covid restrictions lifted.
“This type of programming has assuaged anxieties students have around several issues related to off-campus study: cultural, financial, academic, etc,” said McGee, who estimated that study abroad applications are close to double what they were in 2021.
Stakeholders have also highlighted the need for more specialised staff and healthcare networks to address the damaging impact of Covid on student mental health, which has made studying abroad more challenging for many.
Despite ongoing challenges, Gertz remained positive that US study abroad would continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace.
“The need is to greater understand our world – the people-to-people experiences are all important if we are ever going to make a dent in the sheer volume of critical international issues that can be solved.
“In addition to world peace and understanding, a period of study abroad is something employers are looking for in our globally interdependent world. This will increase in the coming decade as the world gets smaller,” he said.