NASFAA Mention: Fewer Students Enrolling Into College as Pandemic Rages On

"With so much uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic, some families are faced with making difficult decisions like whether or not to send their kid to college.  A new study shows a gradual decline in undergraduate enrollment, especially for first-year students.The coronavirus pandemic has been relentless on lives and livelihoods, now impacting the near-future of some students," WUSA9 reports

..."Justin Draeger is president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators also known as NAFSAA. He said the most alarming trend reflects enrollment numbers  for first-year students and funding for financial aid.

'The number of first-time students, college freshman and high school seniors who are filing a FAFSA , is down pretty significantly this year,' Draeger said. 'We’re down 16%.'

This comes amid a 13% decline in the number of would-be first-time college students, a trend that’s worrisome for Draeger.

'Besides them [students] missing out on much needed financial aid and education, it’s bad for our society,' Draeger said. 'These are the folks who could, with a little help, really give back to their communities , contribute to the society at large , add to the tax base.'

'I think it’s pretty hard to find anyone who disagrees that any eligible student who can succeed in college should have the opportunity to do so.'"

..."While much of the emergency funding from the CARES Act is gone, Draeger encourages families to check with a school's financial aid office to see if additional money is available. If congress can reaching an agreement on another round of funding, he says it could really go along way. 

Federal student loan borrowers are still off the hook to pay their until Dec. 31.

'I hope this doesn’t turn into a longer lasting trend,' said Draeger about declining enrollment numbers. 'I hope we can get our arms around these students and get them the funding they need to go to college.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

 

Publication Date: 11/13/2020

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