COVID-19 Related Effects on the College Experience

In March, around spring break, colleges and students faced an unprecedented situation: Most campuses were closed indefinitely due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Dorms were mostly shuttered, spring classes were completed online, spring athletics were canceled and campus tours were suspended until further notice.

Now everyone is wondering about the fall semester. Shutting down was the easy part; deciding when and how to reopen is another story.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

A handful of four-year colleges — including University of Alabama, University of Georgia, the University of North Carolina system, University of Tennessee and Texas Tech University — expect to hold classes on campus in August. However, others — including most of the California State University system — have announced that they’ll offer online-only classes through year end.

Still others are considering ways to alter the academic experience this fall. Possible options include delaying the start of the school year, moving lectures from cramped classrooms to auditoriums or arenas, swapping dorms for hotel rooms with private bathrooms and playing sports in empty stadiums.

Currently, most colleges are taking a wait-and-see approach to reopening. This leaves existing and prospective students in a state of limbo and puts a damper on what should be an exciting time for students who were planning to go to college.

Grading the Remote Learning Experience

Many students who engaged in remote learning this spring gave it low scores. They say online learning is a poor substitute for face-to-face meetings with teachers and classmates. Remote learning opens doors to academic dishonesty and cyberattacks. Moreover, it largely eliminates supplemental learning opportunities, like labs, performances, internships, field trips and collaborative projects. Depending on a student’s field of study, these learning tools may be essential.

Even if classes do resume on campus in the fall, events that are part of the quintessential college experience — like attending student orientation, cheering on the football team, attending parties and walking across the stage at graduation — may be temporarily banned or limited to facilitate social-distancing measures. Many families are understandably reluctant to pay high tuition costs for a subpar college experience.

Weighing Financial, Health and Safety Issues

Some also may not have the financial wherewithal to pay for college this fall. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused financial strains, from layoffs and pay cuts to lower market values of investment funds earmarked for college. Parents who own nonessential small businesses may be struggling to make ends meet. For families who’ve lost income during the pandemic, college may seem out of reach, especially if they’re unable to afford basic living expenses.

Other real-world stresses may affect students’ college choices as well. For example, if a student or a student’s family member tests positive for COVID-19, it can cause emotional and financial strain on the entire family. There has also been a surge in mental health issues related to job loss and shelter-in-place arrangements.

Safety concerns may factor into the equation, too. Students at out-of-state and foreign universities were blindsided when governments issued lockdown orders in March. Some kids struggled to find a safe, affordable way home. Others had to shelter in place, away from their families.

Revising Your Plan

As we head into the 2020-2021 school year, college students may be reevaluating their options. Here are some examples of ways that families are altering their college plans:

Some students are considering taking a “gap year” until college life returns to normal. A gap year may give students an opportunity to work and save money to pay for college — and gain valuable life experience. However, work options for recent high school graduates may be limited in today’s marketplace.
Some kids are choosing colleges that are closer to home than they originally planned. Others are opting to attend a local community college for a year or two. Some are switching from campuses in densely populated metropolitan areas to more remote locations with lower risks for COVID-19 infection. These options can save money and minimize health and safety concerns.
Some families may need to amend financial aid forms completed in late 2019 or early 2020 for changes in financial need caused by the pandemic. Others may find themselves unexpectedly applying for last-minute loans.
Athletes may be uncertain about whether their sports will be played next school year — and, if not, whether the university will honor scholarship offers.
Students who were planning to study abroad may postpone travel until a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available — or forgo those plans altogether.Students may be unable to participate in corporate internships, clinical training and student teaching programs next year if shelter-in-place orders remain in effect — or they might need to delay those plans, which, in turn, might delay graduation and increase the costs of obtaining a degree or professional license.
In addition, if the crisis continues, on-campus job fairs and recruiting programs may be canceled next spring. This could make it harder for graduating seniors to find jobs in their fields of study.

Applying to College

The crisis has also impacted high school juniors and seniors who were planning to visit and apply to colleges in the coming months. Many will apply to schools they’ve never visited in-person before; some may even accept college admission offers, sight unseen.

For the class of 2021, some colleges are forgoing standardized testing requirements, because the March and June 2020 SAT and April 2020 ACT test dates were canceled — and testing options for the summer and fall remain uncertain. However, many colleges are expected to use these tests for admissions decisions and financial aid applications. So, college-bound students will need to research what’s required at their preferred schools and, if necessary, sign up for standardized tests as soon as possible to reserve a spot before May 2021.

Grade point averages also may be affected by the pandemic. Students with limited access to technology, at-home disruptions and learning disabilities may not adapt well to remote learning. Online grading may be stricter or more lenient than traditional grading — or it might even be waived — depending on local school district policies. These inconsistencies will make comparisons of students from different schools difficult, further complicating the college admissions process.

High school athletes may also be concerned about potential scholarship offers. If 2020-2021 sports seasons are canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis, recruiters may not have the opportunity to see players in action. This could limit some athletes’ chances of receiving college scholarships.

Effects on Colleges

Besides deciding when to shut down and restart, colleges are also adjusting to changes brought on by the COVID-19 crisis. The market value of university endowments may have taken a hit during the pandemic, making it harder for schools to cover operating costs. Enrollment may suffer if foreign students — who typically pay full sticker price — are unable to travel to the United States due to COVID-19-related restrictions.

In addition, if a school decides to operate online or otherwise limit its on-campus opportunities, it risks losing student to other schools. In a competitive academic marketplace, new and existing students may decide to enroll at less expensive or closer schools — or colleges that will offer more in-person learning options and extracurricular activities in the fall. Like for-profit businesses, schools will need to balance safety concerns for their staff and students against economic concerns related to preserving income from tuition and sporting events.

Grossman St. Amour CPAs PLLC virtual doors are open and we are assisting our clients as usual and working with them on audit, accounting, and tax issues as well as matters relating to COVID-19. As a certified public accounting firm located in central New York, Grossman St. Amour CPAs has been in business for over 60 years. The firm provides businesses and individuals with accounting, audit, taxation, business planning and valuation, financial planning, investment consulting, and fraud examination and deterrence services. For more information about how Grossman St. Amour CPAs PLLC can be of service to you, contact our professionals.

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