In a recent survey from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, 75% of four-year undergraduates cited emotional stress as the reason they considered dropping out in the past six months. That’s a thirty percent increase from 2020. In addition, both two and four-year college students cited the pandemic and attendance costs as impacting their ability to remain enrolled. Colleges continue to face the challenge of providing support resources such as mental health, financial aid, and academic supports while also making sure students know about college resources and take advantage of them. The survey did indicate that students believe that college is valuable, that their degree will help them pursue their desired career and earn more money.

Community colleges in California have experienced significant declines in enrollment as an impact of COVID. Large numbers of students who are enrolled have chosen to attend remotely, but educators are concerned because research indicates that “the absence of face-to-face interaction will make it less likely that they’ll succeed.” At Merritt College, student demand for online classes prompted the institution to shift two-thirds of spring classes online versus the fifty percent they had planned for. Institutions are quickly working to develop new resources to augment online learning and support and engage online students. Innovations include assigning mentors, offering online or drop-in counseling and tutoring, and expanding child care resources for online students. 

Last week NBC News examined the impact of test-optional admissions policies, which many institutions embraced in light of COVID. MIT recently announced it will return to requiring ACT or SAT scores in part because leadership believes tests can help identify talented students whose high school circumstances may have impacted their grades. However, hundreds of institutions, like the University of California and California State University systems, have permanently adopted test-optional policies. Cornell University enrolled its most diverse class this fall, including a nearly 50 percent increase in the share of first-generation college students. Institutions like Cornell and Yale are studying the results of their test-optional policies to see if they have a bearing on student success and retention. Research from colleges that went test-optional years ago, like Wake Forest University, “shows that students admitted without test scores come from more diverse backgrounds and do about as well in their classes once they arrive as peers who did submit test scores.”