Although the grid management system has been in practice for more than a decade, less is known about the system and satisfaction among the people to whom the system applies. This study answers three questions; (i) what is a grid management system? (ii) How did higher education institutions use it during the pandemic? And (iii) How was the students' satisfaction with their level of engagement and perceived college support (P_C_S)? A total of 306 international students at Zhejiang Normal University completed an online survey. SPSS 26 and PROCESS macro was used to analyze the results. The results showed a strong positive correlation of P_C_S with students' engagement (r = 0.635, p < 0.05) and life satisfaction (r = 0.694, p < 0.05), while P_C_S significantly affected students' engagement ([beta] = 0.540, SE = 0.082, p < 001) and life satisfaction ([beta] = 0.524, SE = 0.082). The system was an imperative means of controlling the spread of the pandemic, with P_C_S playing a critical role in ensuring students' engagement.