One of the most turbulent years in the United States’ modern history of higher education has just passed. Due to a deadly pandemic, the majority of colleges were forced to shift their operations entirely online in the spring of 2020. Numerous residential college students were abruptly uprooted, losing both their on-campus residences and their means of support. Some took care of their children, siblings, and elderly relatives at home, while others worked jobs that put their health at risk in order to support their families.

But the road to recovery will be a long one. Due to lack of vaccine access and confidence, vaccination rates are still low in some areas and demographic groups across the country as a result of the pandemic’s unequal economic impact.

Believe the Worst of the Pandemic is Over, but Feel Less Optimistic About the Economy

The majority of college students (53%) believe that the pandemic’s worst is behind us, though the percentages for Black and Latinx students are lower (38 and 48%, respectively) (See Figure 1). Additionally, students are less concerned than they were in December about contracting COVID-19 and passing it on to others (down 9 percentage points to 73 percent).

This emerging optimism is most likely influenced by the widespread accessibility of highly effective vaccines and the resulting nationwide decline in case counts and fatalities. A COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to about half of students, but there is a concerning decline in vaccination rates among caregivers (40 percent) and Black students (29 percent). This fall, pay attention to whether or not students are willing to get shots if they are required to be on campus. The good news is that 77 percent of students, up 9 percentage points from December, say they would get the shot if it were necessary to attend class in the fall.

Institutions Handled the Pandemic Well, But Are Not Sure Higher Education is Worth the Cost When Online

Despite the challenges that the past year has brought to students’ lives and the disruptions that the pandemic caused to their education, the majority of them do not think that these disruptions have hurt the value of their degree. According to two-thirds of college students, who have not changed since December 2020, their institution provides a good return on investment. Additionally, there has been some improvement in the percentage of people who believe their college degree will be worth the same as one earned prior to the pandemic, up from 70% in December to 75% today.

In general, students also think that their college or university handled the pandemic as well as they could (81 percent, up from 76 percent in December), that they have been clear in their communications since COVID-19 began (79 percent), and that they are well-prepared for future emergencies (79 percent).

The Coming Academic Year

Colleges and universities, particularly those that were online during the spring semester last year, are preparing to welcome students back to campus as of this fall as COVID-19 vaccines have become widely accessible. However, this does not mean that online learning will disappear once classroom instruction resumes. In the survey, the majority of students (62 percent) indicated that their college would provide both online and in-person courses for the upcoming fall 2021 semester. Only 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively, indicated that their college would only provide online courses.

While a majority of students do not mind continuing with some form of online education come fall, they are still not entirely convinced of its quality and experience. In the fall of 2021, 33 percent of students want to take all of their classes online (down from 40 percent in the December survey), 38 percent want to take both online and in-person classes (almost unchanged from the 36 percent in December), and 26 percent want to take all of their classes in-person (up from 18 percent in December). Only 21% of high school seniors would prefer to take classes entirely online this fall, which contrasts with current college students who are more eager to continue with online learning.

Conclusion

New America and Third Way’s most recent survey reveals that students are starting to feel hopeful that the pandemic’s end is near after a year of battling it and its effects on their finances and well-being. However, students are less optimistic about their own financial futures; the ability to secure employment or pay for living expenses and college costs continue to be some of their biggest worries. Additionally, while most students are happy with how their universities handled the transition to online learning during the pandemic, many still have doubts about the worth of their degrees and of higher education in general.

Students will expect more support from their colleges this fall as many colleges and universities prepare to return to a new normal. This support will include not only financial aid but also advising and counseling to help students graduate on time. Students want the Biden administration and Congress to take action as well; they want them to give affordability and accountability policies top priority in order to maintain the value of a college degree in a changing economy.