Many students experience a constant struggle to remain enrolled in college due to financial insecurity. In early 2020, this situation worsened as a result of the pandemic, which brought about a steep decline in service sector jobs and affordable off-campus housing. Federal pandemic relief programs were enacted in 2020-21, but many low-income students were initially unable to access the programs that were intended for them. Many dropped out of college.
Pandemic Relief Legislation
Congress appropriated $76.2 billion in three installments during 2020-21 so that colleges could limit their financial losses, deploy Internet-based educational systems, update public health protocols, and provide assistance to students. The three rounds of stimulus funding enabled most colleges to avoid worst-case outcomes. Some of the funds designated in the legislation were applied by colleges to pay off past-due tuition for students and to provide emergency aid for those facing housing, employment, and food insecurity.
In many sectors of the economy, the U.S. labor market has rebounded from the lows of the early pandemic. The strain on most households has eased. However, the Census Bureau reports that many college students still struggle to afford basic necessities. This has caused a decline in enrollment, especially at colleges that serve low-income students.
Child-Care Is a Problem Again
Affordable child-care has long been an obstacle for college students with children. The child-care credit included in pandemic legislation was a major factor in enabling single parents to remain in school. But the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 has caused a resurgence of their problems just as the child-care credit is expiring. Student-parents must cope not only with the cost of day-care but with quarantines, testing protocols, and school closures. With emergency aid all but depleted, financially insecure student-parents are vulnerable again.
Limited New Federal Assistance is Available
The U.S. Education Department is taking action to mitigate the ongoing impact of the pandemic on those students most at risk of dropping out. According to Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, writing in the Washington Post (January 20, 2022), “The Federal agency is making $198 million available through competitive grants for colleges that have been hit hardest by the pandemic, encouraging recipients to use the money to tackle food and housing insecurity, among other things.”
These grants to colleges may be the last financial aid available to combat the effects of the pandemic. Grants are intended for those colleges that have the greatest proportion of students with unmet needs. The Education Department offers priority consideration to community and rural colleges that serve mostly low-income students and which have suffered significant enrollment declines. Colleges will pass funds through to low income students in need. The Department is allowing colleges to use Federal databases to communicate with students eligible for benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF).
Help from Non-Profits and Others for Minor Expenses
Alice Anne Bailey, a researcher on education policy with American University’s Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success, has observed that, “The number one reason that low-income students drop out is financial. And often it’s for a little thing that a middle- or higher-income family wouldn’t even think twice about.”
The New York-based nonprofit group On Point for College and others like it focus on small unanticipated expenses, which can interfere with a promising, low-income student’s ability to attend college. For example, a student may fail to anticipate the high cost of textbooks, which may cost $300 or more for one class. Other students are surprised by the need to post a dormitory room deposit of $500 or so. On Point for College solicits donations to pay such expenses for low-income students.
Sometimes unanticipated expenses are as obvious as the need for transportation to and from campus. On Point for College coordinates volunteers who drive students or pay for their public transportation to and from their campuses every semester and on holiday breaks. The group posts student-desired travel dates and destinations on their website so that volunteers can respond to their needs.
For many low-income students, college-related expenses aren’t the only unpleasant surprise. The basic cost of living often exceeds expectations. On Point for College provides participating students a backpack, school supplies, bedding, an alarm clock, and a $150 clothing allowance before they leave for their first semester.
For low-income, rural students, the cost of a college visit while in high school can be prohibitive. According to Karen Weese of the Washington Post (January 31, 2022), “About five years ago, Michigan’s Marlette School District began taking all high school freshman and sophomore classes to at least one four-year university and one community college in the state. For its part, Central Michigan University underwrites some high schools’ costs if they organize a bus trip to its campus northwest of Saginaw.”
Staying overnight during visits can cost more than some families can afford. Berea College in Kentucky eliminates this concern for visiting families. Students and parents can stay in Stuart Cottage, steps away from the admissions office, or get discounted rates at local hotels. During summer orientation, families can lodge in Berea’s dorms for free.
Staying overnight during visits can cost more than some families can afford. Berea College in Kentucky eliminates this concern for visiting families. Students and parents can stay in Stuart Cottage, steps away from the admissions office, or get discounted rates at local hotels. During summer orientation, families can lodge in Berea’s dorms for free.
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