Two months into the shift to remote learning and work-from-home orders, this week higher education news sources focus on the continued financial fall out from COVID-19.   The Chronicle continues its extensive reporting this week as well as Inside Higher Ed.   WCET continues to provide updates on relevant federal policy changes.

Multiple media sources are reporting this week that 5% fewer students have renewed their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming academic year versus this time last yearThe decrease represents more than 350,000 students, most of whom are from low-income families.  A drop in renewal rates suggests that more students  than usual are uncertain about their ability to return to college in the fall.

The Chronicle reports this week on how institutions are supporting students’ mental health at a distance, especially when programs like telecounseling are not available. In a recent survey, 80%   percent of college students reported that the COVID-19 crisis has negatively affected their mental health. Campus leaders are concerned for their students, and a third of college presidents indicated in an American Council of Education survey that they intended to invest more resources in mental health services for students. In the interim, institutions are building on resiliency programs to support students learning at a distance.