Feds relax online education rules for international students amid coronavirus threat

A federal program overseeing international students in the U.S. said it will be flexible with its oversight requirements as the global coronavirus outbreak causes colleges to make classes remote.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) sent participating colleges and universities the guidance on Monday. It expands schools' options for using online education to keep these students on track in the event classes are offered remotely. The guidance covers international students in academic and vocational programs, a critical part of the college student population in the U.S. The number of online courses international students can take is generally restricted. The new guidance would help to ensure those students could stay in their classes as more institutions take programs online in an effort to stem the spread of the new virus and the respiratory illness it causes, COVID-19.