Boston, and all of New England, is known around the world as a leader for higher education and the pandemic had a seismic impact on the area’s colleges and universities as they quickly sent students home and adopted remote learning protocols.
Chloe Hopkins of Brookline didn’t think she’d be attending UMass Amherst from her parent’s living room couch for the last 10 months. “I definitely think college is meant to be spent with others, and with peers, because I found myself very isolated at home and wanting social interaction,” said Hopkins, who is pursuing a career in education.
Remote-learning has been kind of a bust. “I talked to many of my friends about this and they thought they’ve learned nothing this past semester,” explained Hopkins. “It was really hard to stay focused.”
“We did not anticipate such a disruptive factor that would literally turn us completely upside down,” said Assumption University President Francesco Cesareo.
Cesareo believes higher education pivoted pretty well considering the circumstances. Although students tell him they want to be back on the Worcester campus, he says technology will now remain a component of learning as faculty members become more adept at merging new methods of teaching with traditional approaches.
Across the country, undergraduate enrollment is down 4.4% according to the National Student Clearinghouse. More concerning is a 16% decline in financial aid forms, known as FAFSA, submitted for next year.
“Students from lower economic brackets seem to have just put higher education off to the side and they’re not applying and that’s going to create a huge gap in society,” added Cesareo.
As higher education charts this new terrain, the stakes are high for Boston and all of Massachusetts, where colleges and universities are a large part of the regional economy.
“There will be institutions that will not survive this because of their financial situation,” said Cesareo. “There’s a loss of revenue. There’s increased expenses associated with the pandemic.”
Higher education has been a magnet for students from around the world. Gregg Cohen, the president and founder of Campus Bound, said “The New England schools will still be able to attract students from all over the country. Especially schools that are more selective. They’re very attractive.”
A shift could come in what students want to study, according to Cesareo. “We will see a tremendous growth in those disciplines that are health-care related because I think young people are seeing and experiencing what has happened.” This will also prompt more students to study science and burst in the number of psychology majors because of the mental health crisis currently facing society.
As college costs continue to cripple many families, there’s also a growing desire to see a degree lead directly to a well-paying job. Cohen added, “Families are definitely more price-sensitive than they were.”
Although the future of higher education will be challenging, Cesareo is optimistic: “It will have to do things differently. It will have to be more creative and nimble and innovative. But it will be OK at the end of the day.”
That’s encouraging news for Chloe Hopkins. She’s decided to go back to the campus she loves for the upcoming semester, even though her classes are online. “Personally, I love the college atmosphere,” said Hopkins. “I love walking around campus and talking to friends.”
Another thing to watch this year is the push to erase student loan debt. President-elect Biden has said that supports excusing at least a portion of a person’s outstanding loans.
The year ahead
Travel deals, airline virus testing and vaccine passports
A hot housing market and a looming eviction crisis for renters
Service-related jobs slow to return, while flexible work policies will be the norm
Small businesses, restaurants key to local economic recovery
Cox Media Group
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