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July 6, 2020

Amid pandemic, fewer students seek federal aid for college

  • Thousands may be opting to delay or forgo college, with potentially dire consequences for their job prospects and future earnings.
    • By COLLIN BINKLEY and LARRY FENN
    Associated Press

    The number of high school seniors applying for U.S. federal college aid plunged in the weeks following the sudden closure of school buildings this spring — a time when students were cut off from school counselors, and families hit with financial setbacks were reconsidering plans for higher education.

    In the first weeks of the pandemic, the number of new applications fell by nearly half compared to last year's levels, fueled by a precipitous decline among students at low-income schools, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data. The numbers have risen as states and schools have launched campaigns urging students to apply for aid, but they remain down overall from last year.


     
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