Ali Sarp Bulut is an international student at NECC who studies business and plays basketball.

Despite the challenges of new federal restrictions and a pandemic, Northern Essex is still attracting international students.

Last year, there were 19 international students enrolled at Northern Essex, and this year there are 16.

“A few of our students have deferred to the spring, and a couple weren’t able to enroll this fall,” said Maria Hernandez, Northern Essex’s international student advisor.

This year, Northern Essex has international students from 13 different countries including the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Italy, Saint Lucia, the Philippines, China, India, Brazil, Kenya, Lebanon, Mauritius, Honduras, and Morocco.

“A lot of them have family in the area,” said Hernandez. “They appreciate our affordability and our support services.”

While most international students are located in the United States this semester, Ali Sarp Bulut, a second-year business management major from Turkey, who plays on the NECC basketball team, can’t leave his home country due to travel restrictions related to the pandemic. Because of the 7-hour time difference, he will be taking courses at 1 and 2 in the morning. “I can handle it,” he says with a smile. Bulut had been living in Haverhill before traveling home for a visit.

New to NECC this fall, Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui is an international student from Mauritius.

Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui is from Mauritius, which he explains is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean. New to Northern Essex this fall, he has an interest in film and is signed up for exploratory courses. A self-proclaimed extrovert, Sui is finding online learning “tough” and is eager to connect with other students remotely.

International students must be enrolled full-time and demonstrate the ability to pay out-of-state tuition. Hernandez is available to help them navigate the VISA process and apply to Northern Essex. She also offers students counseling and support throughout their time at the college.

To learn more about opportunities for International Students at Northern Essex, visit the website or contact Hernandez at mhernandez@necc.mass.edu

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth.  Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley.  For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.