March 16, 2020

As of March 15th, in addition to previously suspended ISA programs in China, South Korea and the Schengen Area, ISA has made the difficult decision to also suspend ISA programs in the following destinations: United Kingdom, Ireland, Morocco, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, South Africa, and all program locations in Latin America.

The ISA resident staff have communicated with all ISA students and have been assisting them in their prompt return to the U.S. Although their semesters have been suspended, ISA support (e.g. access to resident staff, housing, insurance) will still be available to students while they actively make plans to return home. ISA is in contact with all host institutions to discuss the academic options available for students to complete their coursework from a distance. We will continue to communicate with students and our university partners regarding these options.

ISA continues to monitor fast-moving developments related to COVID-19 and will provide any significant update to students, their parents, and our U.S. partner institutions as necessary. 

March 11, 2020

On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated COVID-19 as a pandemic as the virus has spread to over 100 countries around the world. Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a "Warning - Level 3" Travel Notice for countries in Europe’s Schengen area, encouraging travelers to avoid nonessential travel to member nations due to COVID-19. Additionally, the CDC issued a global "Alert - Level 2" notice, encouraging enhanced precautions for travelers. U.S. President Trump also announced today that all travel from the Schengen countries for non-U.S. citizens would be suspended for 30 days starting at midnight (EST) Friday, March 13. According to the President's proclamation, the travel suspension does not apply to lawful permanent residents and certain other non-U.S. citizens. 

In light of these developments, ISA has made the difficult decision to cancel all ISA Spring 2020 programs in Schengen member countries. This includes ISA programs in Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, and the Netherlands.  The ISA resident staff have communicated with all ISA students and will assist them in returning to the U.S. ISA is in contact with all host institutions to discuss the academic options available for students to complete their coursework from a distance. We will continue to communicate with students and our university partners regarding these options.

At this time, all other ISA Spring 2020 programs are continuing as scheduled, including those in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ISA is continuing to closely follow developments related to COVID-19 and communicate best practices for staying healthy with students.