You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
Nonwhite parents in Massachusetts who have less access to technology are more likely to say their high school children's college plans have changed due to COVID-19.
Most parents who took the poll from MassINC Polling Group said their child's college plans had not changed, but there were disparities by race and income levels.
The statewide poll surveyed 1,502 parents of 10th through 12th graders. It was sponsored by the Boston Foundation and the Barr Foundation and received input from the Education Trust.
Nearly a quarter of respondents said their child is likely to delay attending college due to the pandemic, and 17 percent said their children's plans had changed. Black and Latinx respondents were more likely to say their children's plans had changed, at 22 and 26 percent, respectively.
Access to technology is also a key factor. Twenty-nine percent of those who do not have enough devices for their children to do coursework at home said their children's college plans had changed, compared to 16 percent of those with enough devices. Those without decent internet access were also more likely to report changed plans.
There were also disparities based on language proficiency. For parents who speak Spanish at home, 36 percent said their child is more likely to delay their enrollment, compared to less than one-quarter of those who speak English at home.
“This survey tells the story of two vastly different experiences for families during the coronavirus pandemic in Massachusetts,” Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group, said in a news release. “For mostly white and higher-income families, plans for their child’s future remain largely intact. But for parents of color, and low-income families, the number of obstacles between their child and higher education have increased.”
