High school students change plans due to COVID
Two surveys of high school students both suggest that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic promises to remain with colleges for some time. Approximately 78% of 11th and 12th graders reported that COVID-19 has impacted their plans after high school. Almost one in five reported that their plans were impacted a great deal. Most students now want to study close to home and do so inexpensively. Disrupted Black students were more likely than their white peers to have changed their future education plans. For example, 40% of Black graduates said they would look for less expensive options, compared to 33% of white graduates. The bottom line: students said they need better guidance, clear information on an education’s connection to careers and an easier financial aid process.
Source: Inside Higher Ed
The pandemic’s [unexpected] impacts on higher ed
In sometimes unexpected ways, the Coronavirus pandemic has tested higher ed, strained students and the work force, and impacted surrounding communities. Here are a few by-the-numbers effects:
- Legal: 231 class-action lawsuits were filed by students to receive tuition or fee refunds.
- Food insecurity: nearly 40% of students reported being food insecure in the last 30 days, according to a survey conducted by the Hope Center, which studies food and housing insecurity among undergraduates.
- FAFSA: There was a 4.7% drop in the number of the lowest-income students who renewed their Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
- H2O: One New England college town experienced a 10% decrease in water usage.
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education
Education to experience lasting effects on cloud-based infrastructure
Worldwide growth of cloud-based enterprise infrastructure grew at 12.5% in the first quarter of 2021 (reaching $ 15.1 billion) compared with the same period in 2020, according to a recent report from market research firm International Data Corp. (IDC). The report also stated that education is one of the sectors that will feel a lasting impact from COVID-19 on cloud enterprise infrastructure. “A lasting impact on IT infrastructure will include an increased reliance on cloud platforms for delivering commercial, educational, and social applications, as well as an intensified focus among organizations on business continuity and risk management, helping to drive digital transformation initiatives and increase usage of as-a-service delivery models.”
Source: Campus Technology
Shipping container housing?
Many colleges are experiencing an on-campus housing crunch as students prepare to return to campus in Fall 2021. Because fewer students are taking a gap year this fall and many of the college’s study abroad programs are unlikely to operate, there was an increased demand for housing on campus, according to Dartmouth College Provost Joseph Helble. Some institutions are finding creative and new ways to address the housing shortage issue. For example, the University of Tampa is offering a $2,000 one-time grant to students who were on the on-campus housing waiting list and decide to live off campus this upcoming year. In a very creative move, the College of Idaho converted shipping containers into student dormitories.
Source: Forbes