UK REACTION TO VISAS PKG

UK REACTION TO VISAS PKG

L students across the country tonight are breathing a sigh of relief...after the trump administration took back a policy that would have forced students on visas back to their home country if their school went fully online because of covid-19.

Abc 36's monica harkins spoke to a doctoral student at the university of kentucky tonig ht...and as monica reports...today's decision provides a small piece of certainty during uncertain times.

### "sue roberts: it doesn't put our international students immediately in jeopardy.

So, that is a huge relief to us to our students and to everybody."

Sue roberts leads the international center at the university of kentucky...home base for the university's xxx international students.

She says the last week or so has been beyond stressful for students and staff.

"sue roberts; caused a great deal of anxiety and confusion, and just generally resulted in a lot of chaos," chaos because president trump's administration wanted to remove visas from students studying in the u-s if their university moved to online classes because of the coronavirus.

"melissa: i just like googling just to make sure that it was true, because i couldn't believe it."

Doctoral candidate melissa molho been researching plant viruses at the university of kentucky.

She was scheduled to graduate this august...but the pandemic forced her to stop her research and dissertation work..and then there was a moment she thought she would have to give up her 6 years of work at u-k.

"melissa: we're just going to be deported, because of something we cannot control" tuesday...just before a hearing with 17 universities suing the federal government..the trump administration said it's won't follow through on the policy.

"melissa:it was a big relief didn't need to choose between feel safe, or being in the country."

Feeling safe as in...feeling safe from coronavirus..if u-k this fall has to go to online learning only.

Right now, the university does expect to have in- person classes.

And roberts says keeping international students at u-k benefits more than just the student..it's helping solve problems and create opportunities.

"sue roberts; and that's what researchers research universities do they convene the best minds and the most eager learners from around the world to put that heads together on on a problem we're on a project.

So at the university of kentucky we value our international students."

In lexington, monica harkins