“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. 

“Ten years ago, we did a survey of 100 students studying abroad in Spain and almost 100% of them said they chose to study abroad due to a recommendation from an individual – be that a study abroad provider, a parent, a fellow student or alumni.

“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.  

The number of US students studying abroad recovered to 188,753 in 2021/22 – just over half of pre-pandemic levels, according to Open Doors data.  

As of 2022, the number of US students studying abroad made up less than one percent of all domestic students, which stakeholders say 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.   

It’s like day one of study abroad for us

Troy Peden, GoAbroad

Students are more likely to have the confidence to study abroad if it has been recommended to them by students from their university or those studying the same subject because they feel like a “more credible reviewer”, according to Peden.

“And that’s even more true of students on campuses where they’re watching each other’s Instagram accounts, and that’s why there’s a move by providers to strengthen their brand in students’ social media posts because all the recruiters know that is the most powerful recruiting device – word-of-mouth from existing students and alumni – and that just doesn’t exist anymore,” he added.

However, institutions are ramping up recruitment efforts and simplifying study abroad payment plans to mitigate the impact of Covid and make up for the absence of study abroad alumni.

According to Kelly McGee, director of Denison University’s global programs, the small liberal arts college in Ohio has seen a “surge” in study abroad applications this year.

“In addition to our annual off-campus study fair, we host two send-off events each year during which students who are about to embark on their journeys can connect with those peers who have just returned from their off-campus destinations. This type of programming has assuaged anxieties students have around several issues related to off-campus study,” said McGee. 

“Denison uses a home fee financial structure, and since its implementation largely coincided with the dissipation of the halt on travel during the pandemic, it helped to not only make it possible for more of our students to go off campus, but to provide realistic encouragement for more applications,” she added. 

Denison’s home fee financial structure means that students pay the same fees to study abroad as they would if they were staying at Denison, which aims to make billing clearer and includes travel costs to and from the study destinations. 

However, studying overseas through traditional exchange programs is still inaccessible to many students due to hidden additional costs including travel insurance and living expenses.

A growing number of students known as ‘free movers’ are organising their own study abroad experiences and in some cases saving up to $20,000