New research has revealed many international students with enrolment offers from universities remain determined to
fulfil their global education goals – despite the travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of
students surveyed are holding on to aspirations to commence their studies on-campus within months of their originally
intended start date.
The survey conducted by IDP Connect – the B2B division of international education specialists IDP Education – found 69
per cent of international students with current offers from universities surveyed expect to commence their studies as
planned. Reassuringly, for the international education sector, only 5 per cent no longer expect to commence their
studies.
The research examined nearly 6,900 international student applicants’ attitudes and motivations for studying in
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and United States in light of COVID-19. The research focused on
students’ views on commencement dates, perceptions of safety and their views of online versus face-to-face delivery.
IDP Education CEO, Andrew Barkla, said the research demonstrates students are not abandoning their dreams to study
overseas, but time is limited.
“Given the unprecedented challenges the global community is facing, it is encouraging to know the vast majority of
students surveyed state their perception of their study destination had not changed and they were holding on to their
international education plans,” Mr Barkla said.
“While this is somewhat reassuring, there are several barriers that will impact institutions’ abilities to meet this
demand – such as ongoing travel restrictions and social distancing measures. It is crucial that we all work together to
find ways of ensuring students and receiving countries can continue to experience the benefits of international
education.”
IDP Connect CEO, Simon Emmett, said the research showed there was a small window of opportunity where applicants would
be happy to hold on to their global study goals. After this time, their interest appears to wane.
“Thirty-one per cent of respondents stated they would be willing to start their course online and move to face-to-face
learning at a later date, but by far the greatest preference was to defer to January 2021 if this meant face-to-face
learning would be possible,” Mr Emmett said.
“For students who had already chosen to defer or were considering deferring, 18 per cent were only willing to defer for
up to three months, 23 per cent for up to 6 months and 13 per cent for up to a year. Eighteen per cent stated they were
willing to wait until the institution was ready.
“This highlights that more than half of all students (54 per cent) were only willing to defer up to 12 months or less
before changing their plans or exploring other study options. This creates a narrow opportunity for destination markets
and institutions who rely on September intake.
“While it is positive there is still strong demand, there is more work to be done. If destination countries and
institutions are to meet this demand, governments, community services and the international education sector will need
to come together to find solutions that enable students to arrive in-country and commence face-to-face studies soon,” Mr
Emmett said.
Mr Emmett also stated for institutions looking at commencing programs in September, the mode of delivery was a key
factor for students.
“Of the students who stated they would prefer to defer than study online, 69 per cent stated they believed it lacked
international exposure and 47 per cent stated the standard of online teaching was a concern.”
Mr Barkla said the findings of the research highlight there is a strong opportunity for the sector to work together to
hold on to student interest.
“We all know international education plays a pivotal role in uniting the world through knowledge and cultural exchanges,
and this will become even more vital as the global community begins to rebuild after the events of 2020.
“Our role as a sector is to work together to find the right solutions through effective partnerships and technology that
creates a new bridge for international students to achieve their global goals,” Mr Barkla said.
For more information, visit www.idp-connect.comAbout IDP Education
IDP is a global leader in international education. We help international students study in English-speaking countries.
Our success comes from connecting students with the right course at the right institution in the right country. We’ve
been operating for 50 years, creating a network of opportunity with offices in more than 30 countries.
We are also a proud co-owner of IELTS, the world’s most popular high-stakes English language test, and an operator of 10
English language teaching campuses across South East Asia.About IDP Connect
IDP Connect is a division of IDP Education, global leaders in student marketing and recruitment.
Working with institutions as true partners, IDP Connect understands institution needs and enhances their capabilities
with the transformative power of data, insights and engaged student communities.
IDP Connect is truly embedded in the markets its educational partners operate in and gives them access to over 30
countries’ worth of in-market knowledge. It also has a trusted student audience of 100 million visits from prospective
students across its sites each year. IDP Connect’s exclusive real-time data provides institutions with actionable
insights to drive and inform their marketing and recruitment strategies.