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One of the largest surveys of students during the COVID-19 pandemic found that many are dealing with lost income, housing disruption and uncertainty about whether to return to college.
The California Student Aid Commission surveyed 76,000 students in all higher education sectors across California who submitted state and federal financial aid applications, including high school seniors who intend to enroll in college.
For many current students, the events of the winter and spring were life-changing. More than 70 percent of current students who took the survey report losing some or all of their sources of income due to the economic recession fueled by the novel coronavirus. Nearly half of all students faced disruptions in their living situations in the spring. A quarter of students dropped at least one course during COVID-19. An overwhelming majority -- 90 percent -- reported concern about the shift to online learning.
The majority didn't know about available aid in California for technology and living expenses. Fifty-six percent of current students said they knew of free or loaner laptop programs, although only 12 percent of those applied for that aid. Only 43 percent were aware of funding for living expenses. About 40 percent of those students applied for that aid, but only about half received it.
As a result of these stresses, current students are unsure about the future. More than 80 percent have changed some aspect of their fall plans or are still unsure of their plans. Still, less than 3 percent said they plan to not return to college in the fall.
The survey also asked about how students' college plans had changed after the pandemic. Before COVID-19, only about 3 percent didn't yet know where they would attend college. After the pandemic hit, that jumped to 15 percent.
Students are also more concerned about their financial and personal situations. After COVID-19 started spreading, they reported dramatically increased worries about paying for tuition and housing, as well as taking care of family members and taking full course loads.
Most incoming students also reported increased worry on the same issues. About one-third are concerned about attending a college far from home due to the pandemic.
