28 May

• UK student news website, The Tab, provides live tracker of university decisions on the next academic year
• In Northern Ireland, Ulster University suspends face-to-face lectures until Christmas
• The Scottish Government could end free university tuition for EU students to try to help historic institutions survive the pandemic
• Independence and confidence are the most selected skills recent graduates felt they developed at university, Universities UK survey finds
• Oxford University announces it will teach both face-to-face and online, but warns of a “slow and protracted process”
• A first mover in announcing plans for student accommodation, Swansea University says all of its classes this September will be delivered via a blend of face-to-face and virtual. University accommodation will be available as normal with appropriate social distancing measures in place

27 May

• In The Netherlands, international students in Eindhoven are reportedly facing challenges including financial difficulties, trouble understanding Dutch news updates and loneliness
• While Canada is making life easier for international students in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the US is expected to take advantage of the current health crisis to impose new restrictions on those planning to study and work in America
• Rating agency Moody’s downgrades UK student housing provider Unite and its subsidiary Liberty Living from positive to stable outlook
• 53% of prospective international students intend to delay or defer their entry until next year, latest QS survey results find
• Cushman & Wakefield completes £22 million student accommodation deal in Edinburgh
• While 80% of prospective non-EU students remain interested in studying at a Dutch university after this crisis, 25% report they have changed their plans for the next academic year due to uncertainties about grants and travel restrictions

25 May

• Amid US-China tensions, experts predict China will pivot towards Europe in research and higher education collaboration
• Student accommodation providers face share price hit following Cambridge announcement of blended September semester
• Amy O’Brian writes for the Financial Times of the muted student life ‘Quaranteens’ now face

22 May

• Survey finds majority of students from Asia and Africa with offers from the UK’s top 30 ranked universities would prefer a delayed start to the next academic year to online instruction
• Three weeks after the German federal government announced emergency support measures for students during the coronavirus crisis, money has still not been paid out via a special emergency fund, leaving one million students in financial hardship
• Dutch institutions will reopen on June 15, allowing 20 per cent of students to return on-site during off-peak public transportation hours
• Ernst & Young (EY) education strategist Matt Robb believes that any changes in higher education qualifications will heavily depend on labour market acceptance
• US tops Universitas 21 global higher education systems for the ninth year, with Switzerland, Denmark, Singapore and Sweden in the top 5

20 May

• In a survey of 2,800 graduating high school students in the US, nearly 50 percent say an on-campus experience the only college living experience they will consider
• European University Association calls on policy makers to prioritise research and innovation in post-COVID-19 rescue packages – and avoid reproducing some of the effects of 2008 financial crisis
• During a time of crisis, people are prone to focus on the tactical, but what we know already suggests we should be thinking longer term and for greater disruption, writes José Antonio Bowen for Inside Higher Ed.
• Cambridge University announces all lectures will take place online until Summer 2021. Some face-to-face seminars may be possible if social distancing requirements can be met.

19 May

• The Spanish government has softened the academic requirements for scholarships and increased higher education funding by 22% [Spanish]
• The UK’s regulatory body the Office for Students has warned that UK higher education providers should not promise in-person teaching in September
• Universities in Finland are preparing to increase admissions and accept more students during the current application period to stem rising youth unemployment
• The German rectors’ conference has opposed a rush to reopen universities
• The University of Amsterdam (UvA) has announced all exchange programme and internships have been cancelled for the first semester of 2020/2021
• The Australian New South Wales government has announced that it will fund temporary crisis accommodation for international students who are facing hardship due to COVID-19
• The Irish Universities Association has called for a €20 million international student advertising campaign as a matter of urgency for the next government
• UCAS survey finds that 30% of UK full-time first-year students prefer to live in private purpose-built student accommodation, which is an 8% increase from 22% as it was five years ago

18 May

• As universities begin to make announcements about their 2020 plans, Inside Higher Education provides a snapshot of how their 15 predicted scenarios are playing out
• Latest UK National Code guidance provides advice on arranging for students to pick up remaining belongings and further guidance on rent payment obligations
• 14 college and university presidents told US Vice President Mike Pence that they are more likely to reopen their physical campuses if they can be protected from lawsuits if students get sick

16 May

• Visa application issues could stop students reaching universities

8 May

• The Municipality of Eindhoven has launched the Rental Team (Huurteam) Eindhoven pilot to make Eindhoven a hospitable student city
• The current academic year in Portugal may be extended until the end of July, the Government said this Thursday, announcing that face-to-face classes, when possible, can be given at night, on weekends and holiday [Portuguese]
• Smaller destinations such as Ireland are commanding attention for their approach in supporting international students during the pandemic
• In Cork, Ireland, Future Generation’s plans for a 623 bed student block on a former Coca Cola plant are moving forward, with the scheme expected to be completed for the 2022 academic year
• Developer Empiric Student Property has announced it has halted plans for three student accommodation projects as it seeks to protect cash reserves
• Pressure to relieve student rent continues for PBSA providers in the UK
• International student applications for Sweden have increased by 12% compared to last year’s figures
• Student survey results find that prospective UK Autumn 2020 international students are waiting to see what happens in their own countries and in the UK before committing to studying overseas
• M3 Capital Partners (M3) has sold its 7,402 bed Urbanest Australia Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) platform

6 May

• QS releases white paper detailing how HEI recruitment teams can engage students on the virtual student journey
• Latest US higher education finance report reveals that public HE funding has not yet fully recovered from the 2008 recession
• 91% of calls received by Australian HE emergency app are mental health related
• “Partner institutions can form an excellent stepping stone for students who are reluctant or unable to travel abroad to study. This can be in the form of blended learning, 1+3, 2+2, recognition, matriculation or any other form of arrangement that ensures that students have options.” Said Yusra Mouzughi, vice-chancellor of Muscat University, Oman
• Norwegian universities and colleges have increased study capacity to include 4,000 extra study places this fall in response to unemployment increase [Norwegian]
• Irish universities considering recruitment freezes due to severe drop in income due to the collapse in international student fees
• English university students will still have to pay full tuition fees even if their courses are taught online in the autumn
• Germany’s coalition government will provide emergency loans for students whose source of income is threatened by the pandemic but who are not entitled to federal grants
• US coliving operator Common unveils property brand geared towards workforce housing

4 May

• The Collective is considering reallocating rooms for long-stay use in order to make up for the loss of short-stay revenue
• Immigration statistics in New Zealand report a 14.5% drop in foreign student numbers since mid-March
• Dutch university students report challenges in online learning including struggling to raise questions in online lectures
• Dublin City University (DCU) has said it is reversing a plan to increase the cost of on-campus accommodation from September
• Irish universities could lose out on up to €200 million in international student revenue next year
• The UK government announces admissions rules to protect students and the HE sector from the impact of COVID-19
• “Even under nationalistic models, national success will depend on global collaboration for access to the best students, faculty and scholars. It is the right kinds of global collaboration that will result in cutting-edge opportunity and results that benefit all – the big guys, the little guys and in between.” Dr John K Hudzik, chair of the NAFSA Senior Fellows for Internationalisation