Helping Students Recover from COVID-19 Setbacks
On the surface, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are obvious: more than 50 million Americans have been sick and more than 900,000 have lost their lives. Small businesses have shuttered, millions have lost jobs and nearly everyone in the U.S. has been affected in one way or another.
But there are deeper impacts as well – and it may take a generation before we truly understand all of them. This is especially true of the pandemic’s effect on education. And that uncertain post-COVID future is why we need to work together right now so we can help students bounce back.
Uncertain Times, Decreasing Enrollment
The importance and impact of a degree hasn’t lessened because of COVID-19. But for millions of students, the pandemic has upended the increasingly delicate balancing act of paying for college.
Despite recent recoveries, unemployment claims remain high — and for students, remote and hybrid learning also means that on-campus and work-study jobs are less of an option to help alleviate college costs. At a time when ¾ of undergraduate students hold at least part-time jobs, the lack of work is making college an impossible investment.
For others, the digital divide is getting in the way. Remote learning requires access to high-speed internet and reliable devices – and technical difficulties have pushed students, especially those in rural areas, to turn hilltops, parking lots and car seats into makeshift classrooms. Faced with these less-than-ideal circumstances, students are opting to put their education on pause.
The numbers bear out what’s happening: FAFSA completions are down, Common App college applications are down and Fall 2020 saw a stark decline in total enrollment: Inside Higher Ed reports: “College and university enrollment nationwide fell by 651,774 student — a decline of more than 3 percent — from fall 2019 to fall 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.” That impact was worst at community colleges, which saw a decrease in enrollment around 15%.
Even worse, the high school class of 2020 is disappearing from higher education at a rate never seen before. The enrollment rate for students who graduated from high school in 2020 dropped by nearly 22% compared with the class of 2019. It dropped more than 32% for graduates at high-poverty high schools.
COVID-19 created a cloud of uncertainty around college, work and the future, and it’s leaving millions of students – especially those from historically underserved communities — in limbo.
Partnerships to Build Support Structures
This is clearly a critical juncture for students. Whether it’s the lack of work, housing or technology; a need to care for family members; or a remote-learning structure that doesn’t serve their needs, the outcome is potentially devastating: students stopping out of college, dropping out before graduating or never attending at all. Worse yet, students who are carrying loan debt but don’t complete a degree may end up in a financial hole they can’t dig out of.
It’s up to all of us who support students to ensure that the COVID-19 generation of students isn’t lost. And it’s going to require proactive efforts, public and private partnership and new ideas about how best to support success.
On the public side of things, the political turmoil of the past year has made cohesive efforts difficult, but not impossible. In response to the decline in FAFSA completions, legislation passed in 2021 to simplify the FAFSA and expand Pell Grant eligibility – both moves that will help low-income students access financial aid. In addition, the last COVID relief package included significant funding to provide emergency grants and alleviate food insecurity, as well as further student loan relief provisions.
Looking forward, the Biden administration’s higher education plan has ambitious goals for expanding free tuition at two-year colleges and, for qualifying students, at four-year universities. The push also continues for expanded student loan forgiveness. While the final shape of these policies is likely to change, they do represent a significant federal effort to support students’ return to normal.
How We Can Build Back
Vint Hill Educational Services is working to facilitate that return. Tutors offer a lifeline to students struggling with an uncertain educational future, and over the last year we have worked to reimagine more flexible and effective ways of connecting students and tutors.
As a generation of students finds its educational goals at risk, it is more important than ever to deliver timely, well-rounded support. Supporting students will be vital to the post-COVID recovery. We’re here to help make that happen – and we’d love to hear from you.
DOES YOUR CHILD STRUGGLE WITH STAYING ORGANIZED, PLANNING SCHOOLWORK, OR STUDYING FOR EXAMS? CONTACT US FOR A FREE COACHING ASSESSMENT.
Vint Hill Educational Services offers academic coaching for students who have difficulty getting motivated, staying focused, or keeping up in school. With backgrounds in counseling, mentoring, teaching, and special education, our coaches are highly experienced at working with youth and helping students overcome a wide spectrum of challenges.
Academic coaching is especially beneficial for individuals with attentional problems, low executive functioning, or learning or cognitive disabilities—though it is also valuable for those struggling to deal with the ordinary stressors of understanding complex information, planning assignments, studying for exams, or transitioning to college. Students who work with an academic coach typically require guidance and assistance in:
· Getting and staying organized
· Planning coursework and managing time effectively
· Starting and completing schoolwork
· Studying and reading with proficiency
· Managing stress, anxiety, and distractibility
· Balancing academic and personal responsibilities
· Preparing for tests
Our coaches complete assessments to identify the student’s challenges, strengths, goals, and learning style. They then create customized plans that integrate a variety of tools and techniques to help build confidence and improve school performance. Strategies include positive reinforcement, setting achievable goals, optimizing skills, breaking down tasks, creating a supportive environment, and tracking progress.
We select the best coach for your child and provide a coach profile for you to review and approve. The coach matching process considers the coach’s education, experience, and personality, as well as the student’s issues, schedule, and preferred location (e.g., home, office, public library). Each session is one hour in length and one-to-one for individualized support. Parents receive access to our online Teachworks system, allowing them to review coaching session notes, receive session email reminders, and keep track of used and remaining session hours.