I’m usually in agreement with the posters on this thread. Howeer, I have a different perspective on this issue.
I agree that study abroad can enhance a student’s experience in another culture and/or language, but at a cost. The cost is much more significant for a student in a non-liberal arts major (including CS and engineering). Few study abroad programs mesh perfectly and completely with what an ambitious student in those majors wants to pursue. At the minimum, s/he would have to give up some of the desirable electives in order to study abroad.
My S is a CS major and he had no intention to study abroad even before the pandemic. He made the decision that I wholly agree with. Why would he give up a significant portion of his four years at one of the best colleges in order to study abroad (even at one of the most prestigious colleges abroad - think Oxbridge-level schools)? The cultural aspect can be made up in other ways. He was going to spend the summer last year in Australia until the pandemic intervened.