This is why we have already seen a number of smaller schools close. There is more to come.
Campus Reform reports:
Post-COVID enrollment down by 1 million as students cite affordability, mental health concernsAccording to a new report from EAB, an education consulting firm, high schoolers are increasingly feeling mentally unprepared for college as more students express that a degree may not be worth the cost.“A growing number of high school students point to concerns over affordability as well as academic and mental health preparedness as primary reasons behind their decision not to enroll in college,” EAB stated. “The report summarizes the results of a new survey of more than 20,000 ‘Gen P’ high school students—those whose college-going behaviors have been influenced by the [COVID-19] pandemic.”Each year, EAB conducts a survey of approximately 20,000 high schoolers to poll students about their college plans.EAB’s latest findings revealed that 20 percent of students who decided not to attend college immediately after high school indicated that higher education was not worth the cost — a rise from the pre-pandemic level of 8 percent in 2019.The report also found that 22 percent of high schoolers who declined to pursue a college education felt that they were “not mentally ready for college.” This was an increase from 14 percent reported in 2019.EAB also cited the National Student Clearinghouse in noting that undergraduate enrollment is down by 1 million students since the coronavirus outbreak of 2019-2020.“It’s no secret that the pandemic has taken a toll on student mental health and academic preparedness,” said EAB’s Enroll360 President Hope Krutz. “So many negative effects of the pandemic make it harder for today’s students to see college as a viable option.”
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