Why Russian students in the USA have nothing to live on
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly complicated the lives of Russian-speaking students in the United States. The students themselves told about this to Gazeta.Ru.
Those who are in the United States on a student visa had a hard time. Back on July 7, the US Immigration and Customs Police announced that foreign students in the country studying distance learning would be considered visa violators, with all consequences up to deportation. A week later, on July 15, the administration of US President Donald Trump decided to abandon plans to cancel student visas for international students, as Harvard University and MIT filed a lawsuit against the department – educational institutions considered themselves disadvantaged because international students are a significant source of income for American universities. However, Russian-speaking students who legally stayed in the United States had to look for money to live.
“There was only one laptop left – the rest had to be sold”
According to student Sergei from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, in March, their university suspended full-time education, and students were “strongly encouraged” to return to their place of residence. “At the same time, the campus and dormitories continued to work, which instilled calm,” the young man shared with Gazeta.Ru.
According to him, the new format of teaching did not cause difficulties, but the student began to have financial problems. “In February I started working in an engineering company, but with the outbreak of the pandemic, I was first transferred to remote work with a lower rate, and at the end of May I was laid off,” said Sergey.
Finding a new job during the pandemic has proven almost impossible. “In addition, every day there were reports of new sick students. All this pressed very hard. I honestly observed the restrictions, tried not to go outside unnecessarily, but the situation became more desperate, ”the student complained.
He had no opportunity to return to Russia. “And in July they already demanded that all foreign students whose universities go online to leave the United States, announced the termination of our visas. Then this idea was canceled, but our university still strongly suggested foreign students to leave. I then left the hostel and rented a room with friends for a month, ”said Sergei.
Together with his friends, he had to work illegally at night. “And in the afternoon we took turns studying – we had only one laptop, the rest had to be sold,” the student explained.
He added that the new academic year began at the university in a mixed format – some of the classes are held remotely. “Of course, security measures are very strictly observed, but still we were able to return to the hostels, return to our usual activities. I think it won't get worse than this summer, ”Sergei hopes.
Nothing Helps to Cope A graduate student from New Jersey planned to defend her thesis in the spring after a multi-year doctoral program at an American university. Over the years, the money for her studies was provided by a sponsor company, and when her student life ended, the girl lived on savings and earned money by teaching.
“In 2019-2020 I was lucky – the faculty unexpectedly allocated me funding for the academic year, I was invited to work as a teaching assistant, in exchange for a scholarship. During the pandemic, for several months, from March to July, there was a guaranteed income, which, against the backdrop of news of layoffs, was a great success. In March, before the spring break, everyone left for remote teaching, shoveled the curriculum, but brought the courses to the end, “says the girl, who wished to remain anonymous, to Gazeta.Ru.
After her defense was postponed until the fall, the student thought – to leave or stay. What to live on in 2020-21, according to her, was not clear. The faculty where she taught had cut rates and explained that fewer students were expected.
“According to rumors, it seems that every faculty has received an order from above to cut about 15% of jobs among teachers. Without a permanent contract, I ended up in the “unlucky”. A friend from another faculty offered part-time for the fall, in a friendly way, but in July the administration of this faculty withdrew the offer, arguing that they had to provide “their own”, ”she says.
At the end of the summer, at their home faculty, the girls figured out how to help – they gave me a part-time job, without a social package. Epidemiological safety measures from university officials were adopted quickly enough, tests for symptoms appeared in March, volunteers were called for vaccine testing, and posters were pasted everywhere with instructions about 2 meters of distance.
“Everything was closed – educational blocks, libraries, catering. They even put the stadium under lock and key for a couple of weeks, then quietly removed it, but instructed to run alone. Technology does not help, but triples time, effort, emotional investment. The reductions in teaching staff passed with a less noticeable increase in the number of students. Part-time, it turned out, instead of one group of 20-30 students, I got three 75. The university insisted on an asynchronous format, so write scripts of lectures, prepare slides, record on video, edit, upload, build a web interface, scan educational texts, support online discussions, check assignments, etc. I had to do it myself, without assistants, ”the girl complained. Last chance to stay
Many students, in order to stay in the United States, need to find sponsors who will help them change the type of visa. According to Olga from Bloomington, Minnesota, because of unemployment, many companies are trying to give jobs to Americans in the first place, and everyone else is fading into the background.
“I have an F-1 visa – this is student status. To stay in the States, I need to find a company or employer willing to “sponsor” me with a work visa (H1-B). Not all companies do this, and they prefer to simply take a US citizen to work – less fiddling with documents and no need to prove again why a foreigner is better suited for the position than an American, ”explains Olga.
The only option that remains for students in case of refusal to accept a job is to apply for a master's degree. However, not everyone can afford it – training is too expensive, and there is no way to make money on it.
“I am now studying completely free of charge and receiving a scholarship every month. I am considering all possible options, but so far, there is no progress in sight. I have sent many applications for vacancies where people with knowledge of the Russian language and Russian culture are required – “at the level of a native speaker”. I received rejections for all these jobs. It was a shock for me, ”Olga said indignantly.
Great difficulties to return from Russia
Students who, at the time of the pandemic, nevertheless left for Russia, face difficulties when trying to return – everything here depends on the position of the authorities and the university itself, Danielle from New York told Gazeta.Ru.
“A really difficult situation has arisen for those who decided to return home and undergo distance learning from March to June, for example, from Russia, and return to the United States in the fall for full-time studies: such students need to re-obtain a study visa, and sometimes re-interview at the consulate or embassy. At the moment, all US consulates in Russia, with the exception of Yekaterinburg (it is working on accepting documents for extending study visas without passing an interview), are closed, “- said in a conversation with Gazeta.Ru, the head of the Department of Education Abroad of the educational center” Hay Klass »Victoria Shamshur. According to her, Yekaterinburg alone is not able to process the number of applications coming from all over Russia – this leads to huge electronic queues and the inability to make an appointment in a timely manner for the delivery of documents. As a result, many students either could not go to study in the United States, or are still trying to get out – the academic year has already begun without them, and the prospects for those who had recently rejoiced at enrolling in an American university turned out to be very dim.
