As colleges and universities grapple with financial losses related to coronavirus, it remains unclear whether campuses will reopen in the fall. Students are already changing their plans for next semester.
A new survey of 1,500 undergraduates finds that almost 1 in 10 (9%) say they are changing their plans for the fall semester in light of coronavirus. While 3% plan on transferring to another school, another 3% say they won’t enroll anywhere. Fewer students (1%) plan on enrolling in more undergrad classes to avoid graduating into a recession, and 2% now plan on enrolling in classes for a higher degree.
However, the fall semester is still months away and many students are waiting to see whether their campus reopens. “If they announce online, I’m taking the semester off and working full time. I am not paying $15K for ZoomU,” a University of Minnesota student says.
Sophomores in particular are changing up their plans: 7% say they will either transfer or not enroll in the fall, compared to just 2% of juniors.
Sophomores Are More Likely to Transfer or Drop Out
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Meanwhile, 4% of seniors now plan on continuing their education because of the pandemic. Just 1% say they will enroll in more undergrad classes rather than graduate before the fall, and 3% say the pandemic has pushed them to pursue a higher degree.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 1,500 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
