Higher education enrollment further threatened by pandemic, proclamation

The pandemic’s negative impact on enrollment at institutions of higher education is getting even more complicated. New figures show that the number of students that have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a figure that serves as an indicator for postsecondary enrollment, has decreased. And a new proclamation from the president that restricts entry to the U.S. by graduate students and researchers from China may also affect higher education enrollment figures. According to The Hechinger Report, if international student enrollment decreases, the economic fallout will be severe, as it nationally accounts for about $2.5 billion in tuition and fees.

Since schools closed in mid-March, FAFSA application completion by high school seniors has decreased by 3.3 percent, and the same is happening with those already enrolled in college, with overall renewals decreasing by five percent, according to the National College Attainment Network. According to The 74, with schools being shutdown, school counselors who normally play a large role in assisting students with the application process are struggling to provide that same support from afar, severely affecting low-income students, undocumented students, and those whose families have mixed immigration status.

In April and May, we shared stories about the implications of the pandemic on higher education. With higher education projected to see a 25 percent decrease in overall enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and institutions still struggling to recover from the disruption of the last term, new hits to the system will further compound the problem.