Student respondents were also given the opportunity to provide written comments in the survey, many of which provided specific examples of the struggles students had in the face of the pandemic:

• “COVID-19 has changed my plans for college financially and emotionally. I am currently debating whether I should drop my Fall Semester classes because I need to find a full time job to help my family.”
• “COVID-19 changed my plans for college financially, considering that my mom was working two jobs and both had to close. Now she is doing the best she can by selling “gelatinas” but is barely making enough money to put food on the table.”
• “I am concerned about being unable to pay rent or other educational expenses. This has added a lot of stress that is distracting me from my academic goals.”
• “The biggest challenges I face with pursuing my college degree are financial hardships. Because I am out of work, I’m uncertain on how I am going to move forward. My degree is important, but bills are not going to wait for me…I have to pay them.”
• “…the money that I had designated for school has been going to support my family. For me to become a full time student for fall semester won’t be a possibility this year.”  

Witness the true impact COVID-19 has had on students from all over California by watching them discuss the challenges they’ve had to navigate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

California’s higher education system – and its students – represent the primary path back to prosperity and will lead our state forward. Even amid the pandemic, students remain hopeful and discuss their aspirations for the future, emphasizing how much financial aid has played a role in their college education. 

Students need our investment to succeed as well as survive, both in good times and in crisis. #CAStudentsSpeak ​