As classes at colleges and universities across the United States are moved online and some students are being told to move out of their residence halls, the COVID-19 coronavirus is creating more uncertainty.
A commentary from CNN argues that forcing students to leave campus is likely to have a disaparate effect on low-income students who may not the resources to return home or connect to online classes.
Many schools do not yet have a clear public plan for how to handle students who can't go home: those whose homes are in affected countries, those who are low-income and rely on financial aid for their housing, those whose homes don't offer space conducive to learning (not every home has the fast WiFi connection necessary for online classes), those who may not have a bed or place to stay in their childhood homes, and those who support themselves and don't have homes to go back to.
Many low-income students rely on their schools for housing, food, and income—including work-study income (the only income many international students can legally make).
Some first-generation college students also support family members back home by paying bills, sending cash and otherwise sharing their resources with a network of people who all rely on one another. An unexpected change can have dire consequences for a family.
The strategy of figuring out the financial repercussions down the road is an example of how many higher education institutions seem to assume a middle-class American model of family where parents support the child into adulthood; that just isn't the case for a lot of students at these schools and universities.
Many of these schools are working hard to make sure they accommodate students in need, keeping some dining halls open and directing students the relevant decision-maker. Staff have not cut and run; they are very clearly working tirelessly to make sure their students are safe, healthy and cared for.
But there is also a level of opaqueness here that is concerning. Will students get a refund for their room and board at colleges and universities that are evacuating?
For students whose room and board are paid for because of financial need, there is no indication that they will receive the immediate cash infusion they will need to afford to live and eat elsewhere.
Universities have been left on their own to make decisions based on limited information—which in turn leaves poor students worse off than wealthier ones, students at elite schools better off than students at less-elite ones, and everyone struggling to figure out what is going on here and how to stay safe and healthy.
