As Higher Education Leaders Wait for Slow-to-Arrive Federal Relief, Students Are Taking Charge of Providing Key Services to Their Classmates & Communities
The $2.2 trillion stimulus package approved last month includes $14 billion specifically designated for higher education. However, it remains uncertain when colleges and schools will actually receive this funding. In the meantime, institutions are using their own resources and donation networks to provide students with essential financial assistance.
Geoff Green, CEO of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation, the philanthropic branch of a community college in California, stated the foundation’s decision to immediately allocate funds to students. Since March 30, the foundation has distributed approximately $1.4 million to 1,600 students in need.
According to Green, this financial support of up to $1,000 per student acts as a temporary solution to help students navigate the economic challenges caused by the pandemic. It serves as a bridge until federal stimulus dollars, expanded unemployment insurance, and one-time checks of up to $1,200 are made available.
Green expressed concern that if students facing economic hardships are not provided with timely support, they may choose to drop out of school in order to address their immediate needs.
The U.S. Department of Education’s approach to distributing the $14 billion remains unknown. It is uncertain whether the department will prioritize quick disbursement or take time to establish guidelines and regulations beforehand.
Terry Hartle, senior vice president of government and public affairs for the American Council on Education, the largest higher education advocacy group in the nation, hopes that the funds will be released quickly. Hartle, along with numerous other organizations, sent a letter to the department urging them to expedite the process. The National Governors Association also joined the efforts, calling for distribution within a two-week timeframe.
Higher education institutions are facing significant financial strain. As classes are now held virtually, traditional sources of income such as parking fees and event rentals have dried up. Additionally, colleges are refunding students for housing costs, as many have vacated their dorms either voluntarily or due to institutional directives. Students have even been reimbursed for tuition.
Hartle stated during a webinar with reporters that every college in the country is currently dealing with a cash-flow crisis due to unexpected expenses and delayed revenue.
Although half of the $14 billion allocated to higher education is reserved for direct student aid, colleges hope to recoup some of the funds they have spent on student support.
The letter from ACE President Ted Mitchell, urging the department to release the funds quickly, also mentioned the importance of reimbursing institutions for expenses incurred on behalf of students, such as housing, food, transportation, and equipment.
(Note: On April 9, one day after the publication of this piece, the U.S. Department of Education released a list revealing the amount of funding each college would receive. It was also clarified that colleges cannot use money intended for student aid to reimburse themselves for the emergency aid they have already provided to students.)
This financial crisis significantly affects students, particularly those in community colleges who were already facing economic disadvantages prior to the pandemic. For example, in California’s community college system, 41% of the 2.3 million students come from low-income households, receiving tuition waivers due to their family income of around $37,000 for a family of four.
Students now lack access to non-academic campus services that they relied on for basic needs, such as food pantries, computer labs, and campus internet.
Alexis Zaragoza, the student representative on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, has been advocating for commitments from college leadership that address these basic needs. This includes addressing the loss of access to food pantries, internet connectivity, computers, and study areas. The board recently granted increased powers to system chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley, enabling him to override individual college rules. His office has already relaxed regulations on student grades and refunds for student fees during this pandemic.
Alexis Zaragoza, pictured second from the right in the photograph, was attending the Student Senate of the California Community Colleges General Assembly in October 2018. Alexis Zaragoza has been a strong advocate for basic-needs investments and has asked the system’s leadership to continue paying students who had campus jobs, even though most campuses are closed due to the pandemic. Amine El Moznine, the vice president of legislative affairs for the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, commends Oakley’s team for their engagement with the student government.
The senate is pushing for financial support for all students, in addition to the specific request for student employment funds to be utilized for the students’ benefit. Moznine believes that if the money was already allocated at the beginning of the year, it should be redirected to provide direct support to the students. The senate also aims for improved coordination among the various higher education systems in California, including private nonprofit colleges, to ensure seamless transitions for transfer students. Moznine believes that the delay in accepting the pass/no-pass courses for transfer students highlights the need for more collaboration across the state.
Students face enormous pressure due to the devastating job losses and the financial strain it puts on their families. Many students have had to leave dorms and move back in with their parents or guardians, which adds emotional stress and makes it difficult to find a suitable space for studying. Students who are also parents have the added challenges of raising their children while dealing with the intensifying pandemic. In some cases, mental health has taken a back seat as students struggle to find calm environments for virtual therapy sessions.
Sadia Khan, a single parent and undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, shares her personal experience of the challenges presented by the pandemic. With the stay-at-home orders in place, Khan finds it challenging to have personal moments without worrying about her child overhearing or being affected by tough topics or emotions. The crisis has also affected her financially, as a state grant she received in 2019 for student parents has resulted in a smaller housing allowance this year. She now struggles to pay rent and has seen an increase in food costs, making her SNAP benefits insufficient to sustain her.
Khan dedicates 20 hours per week to volunteering at a food pantry for student parents. Many campus food pantries have closed due to public health concerns or a decrease in donations, but the pantry she helps manage continues to operate thanks to support from the university, the county, and a city nonprofit. Despite the challenges, the pantry serves around 500 people, including Khan, and has seen a significant increase in demand since the start of the pandemic.
Colleges and philanthropies have been instrumental in providing essential resources, such as laptops, internet connections, and food, to students in need. The Los Angeles Community College District has received over 9,000 applications from students requesting affordable laptops, which have become crucial for academic success as classes shifted online and campus libraries remain closed. However, there are still obstacles and challenges that need to be overcome in order to ensure all students have access to these vital resources.
The demand for electronic devices has led to an increase in prices. The school district has reached out to other sellers to purchase more laptops, but they are offering prices that are three times higher than the current vendor for the same type of computer, according to Boyer.
Colleges within the district, as well as their foundations, are also providing Chromebooks to students. They are either purchasing them or repurposing unused ones that were designated for students in the fall. The district is actively seeking additional funds from local, state, and federal resources to meet the growing technological needs of students. Boyer mentioned that the district recently received a generous gift of $100,000 from the Ballmer Group, owned by Steve Ballmer, co-founder of the Los Angeles Clippers.
To assist students who lack reliable internet access, the district is directing them to local telecom companies that offer free or discounted wireless internet services.
While California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a partnership with Google to distribute 100,000 wireless hotspots to K-12 students, it does not include college students, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the governor.
One community college in California, Calbright College, is taking steps to provide technology to students in rural areas. They are mailing 500 Chromebooks and 500 T-Mobile hotspots to rural community colleges for use during the summer. This initiative was born out of a weekly webinar conducted by the college’s chancellor’s office, where they learned about the need for devices and hardware in rural campuses.
Some colleges within the Los Angeles district are considering providing wireless internet access points in their campus parking lots. However, this poses challenges such as ensuring social distancing among students and maintaining security. Access to power for a large number of laptops is also a concern, as certain parking structures do not have many outlets.
Los Angeles-area community colleges may need to be prepared to offer their physical spaces to health officials if additional areas are required for hospital beds during the worsening pandemic in California. This potential conflict highlights the need to balance patient care with students’ access to the internet.
Food pantries in the district have mostly closed due to difficulties in enforcing social distancing while providing food. The charitable organizations that used to supply the food are no longer able to do so. The demand for food among students is high, as a survey conducted in 2016 revealed that over 60% of respondents experienced food insecurity.
The supermarket company Kroger has donated $150,000 to the district to be used as $50 gift cards. Students had to apply for these gift cards through their student portals. However, there have been some issues with sharing the application for the food gift cards through the portals, making it difficult for students to apply. The high volume of students seeking laptops and food cards has overwhelmed the system, but the district encourages students to keep trying.
Philanthropic efforts have not adequately responded to the current situation, according to Boyer.
Statewide, students faced technical difficulties with an assistance fund managed by Mission Asset Fund. This fund promised $500 per student for undergraduate students at public universities and colleges in California. Despite meeting the eligibility criteria, around 50,000 applicants ended up on a waiting list before the fund announced that they were no longer accepting applications less than 24 hours later.
Jose L Medina III, a full-time student at California State University, Fresno, experienced error messages when trying to submit an application on April 2. He shared his frustration on Twitter, and a representative from College Futures, a donor to the fund, assured him that his spot in line would be preserved if he had already started the application. However, on Friday, he found himself locked out of the system and unsure if his application went through.
The foundation that supports Cuesta College, a community college in California’s central coast region, has raised its grant request limit from $500 to $1,000. This decision was made due to the fact that nearly 80% of the college’s students are employed and the local tourism and hospitality industry, which is the main source of employment, has been severely affected. By increasing the cap on grants, the foundation aims to provide more assistance to students during these challenging times.
To ensure that the aid is distributed effectively, the foundation is collaborating with the college’s financial aid office. The staff in this office will assess the students’ eligibility for other forms of financial support in addition to the grants. It has been stated by Shannon Hill, the president of the foundation, that students are required to provide proof of loss of working hours through their pay stubs.
Although there may be slight delays in the processing of grants, the foundation’s team is working diligently to ensure that the checks are sent out to students promptly and that donor contributions are received in a timely manner.
The task of distributing direct student aid will become even more challenging when the federal stimulus money is received. The injection of additional funds will place a burden on college staff as they will have to determine student eligibility for this aid.
David Helene, the founder and CEO of Edquity, a company specializing in student financial success and emergency aid, believes that his company can play a crucial role in distributing the emergency aid on behalf of colleges. The CARES Act, which is the stimulus law, permits third-party entities like Edquity to assist colleges in administering the funds. Edquity has already achieved recognition for its work in this field, utilizing an algorithm developed by Sara Goldrick-Rab, a renowned expert on student basic needs. The algorithm asks students a few questions to determine if they qualify for emergency aid. Sara Goldrick-Rab joined Edquity in a senior position last year.
In addition to its existing agreement with the Dallas County Community College District to distribute $500,000 in emergency aid, Edquity has established partnerships with several colleges and charities. It is anticipated that more institutions will join these partnerships in the near future. Many schools have expressed interest in Edquity’s services, with the number of inquiries increasing thirty-fold in March alone.
The transition to online learning poses additional challenges for students. Some forms of support beyond financial aid are necessary. Gilbert Vasquez, a member of the Formerly or Currently Incarcerated Students program at East Los Angeles College, assists his fellow students in adapting to virtual learning. Having spent a decade incarcerated himself, Vasquez understands the difficulties faced by students who are not technologically proficient. He provides guidance over the phone and helps them navigate the online instructional platforms required for their courses.
Vasquez also encounters challenges in the transition to online learning. Apart from the anxieties associated with the pandemic, he misses the face-to-face instruction that he relied on to improve his writing skills in his English class. He believes that hands-on experience is particularly valuable for someone of his age.
Valerie Johnson, a first-year Berkeley student who transferred from Crafton Hills College, expresses similar concerns about online learning. She feels that it is not the ideal format for her and many other students. Johnson acknowledges that she is fortunate to have education as one of her main concerns, recognizing that there are students whose families have lost their sources of income.
Johnson is heavily involved in various student government and advocacy roles, including a campaign to encourage University of California students to complete their U.S. Census forms online. She explains that many students have left home and may not have received important mail at their campus addresses.
In conclusion, Johnson, along with countless other students, is faced with the challenges of adapting to online learning while juggling other responsibilities. Despite the difficulties, she acknowledges the privileged position she is in compared to students who face more pressing issues as a result of their families’ financial situations.
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