The Impact of COVID-19 on Entering Students in Community Colleges
Survey
Mar. 2021
Sample Size:
5,193
Demographics:
undergraduate students
Topics:
Covid-19
Learning
Student Support
Admissions And Enrollment
Top Findings:
- For the vast majority of students (86%, n=3,410), the decision about whether to enroll part-time or full-time was also not impacted by the pandemic. And 75% (n=3,509) of respondents did not change their plans about their program, major, or pathway of study due to the pandemic.
- Twenty-eight percent (n=1,273) of respondents described their household’s financial situation in fall 2020 as worse than it was before the pandemic. The situation was worse for female students than for male students—and particularly for female students who have children living with them depending on them for their care.
- Nineteen percent (n=874) of respondents said they were struggling to pay for college as a result of the pandemic—this is in addition to the 21% (n=995) who said they were struggling, but not as a result of the pandemic.
- Almost all (nine in 10) students who took online classes reported using a computer to do so. A small percentage reported using a cell phone or a tablet, and 1% said they did not have a device for working online.
- Students who did attend in-person classes in fall 2020 (N=808 from five colleges) reported varying levels of comfort with being on campus. Overall, 61% of these respondents agreed that they tried to avoid situations on campus in which they were unable to stay six feet away from others.