One Semester Later: How Prospective and Current College Students’ Perspectives of Higher Ed Have Changed between August and December 2020
Survey
Jan. 2021
Sample Size:
1,008
Demographics:
undergraduate students
Topics:
Covid-19
Student Support
Admissions And Enrollment
Value
Accountability
Affordability
Equity
Funding
Student Loans
Top Findings:
- Top concerns continue to be fear of catching COVID-19 and spreading it. Approximately 86% of students are concerned about their friends or family catching coronavirus (up from 83% in August), and 82% are concerned about catching coronavirus and spreading it to others.
- Nearly three in four (71%) are worried about being able to pay non-education related bills. A vast majority of caregiving students (91%) worry about being able to pay bills; this is up from 81% in August.
- Over half (51%) of college students agree that “the way my institution handled the pandemic this past semester made me trust its leadership less,” which rises to 62% among caregiver students and 63% among Black students. However, students overwhelmingly believe that “my institution is committed to giving me a quality education,” (82% now vs. 86% in August), “my institution has my best interest at heart” (71% now vs. 75% in August), and “my institution cares about my health and well being” (71% now, vs. 76% in August).
- Over half (54%) of students have had to make purchases to continue their education online since the pandemic began in March, up from 41% when we surveyed students in August. And 75% of those who had to make purchases report receiving no funds from their institution for this purpose.
- 84% believe it’s important that the federal government prioritize making higher education affordable and ensuring it provides a good value to students, and 83% say it’s important that the federal government ensure institutions receiving COVID relief funds are using it to help students among a long list of other high-ranking priorities.
Related Insights & Analysis
Jan. 19th, 2021
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