COVID-19 – a disease declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization has impacted the global business, economy and the livelihood of people. The education sector has also been largely affected by this outbreak and international students in Australia are facing difficulties coping with the situation on their own, away from their families. Expert Education and Visa Services (EEVS) began offering tailored support to its clients from the time when COVID-19 cases started to grasp Australia. From providing the much-needed counselling and moral support to lobbying and negotiating support packages for international students with educational institutions, government and non-government as well as various community organizations, Expert Education has taken initiatives to identify the underlying issues and impact of COVID-19 on international students and to provide supportive measures.
Always ensuring to fulfil its Corporate Social Responsibility, Expert Education has set up a $200,000 ‘COVID-19 Expert Support Fund’ through Expert Foundation (a charity initiative of EEVS) aimed at alleviating immediate financial hardship and providing the needed support in assisting students. Considering the economic impact of the situation on parents and guardians as well as the international students, Expert Foundation has decided to allocate $150,000 from this fund to international students meeting all the following criteria: