College planning in a COVID-19 world might feel impossible to most. It is especially difficult for students with underlying health issues and those who believe they might not learn well in online environments. Several colleges made announcements that they intend to open and hold in-person classes but many students and parents believe this is not truly feasible.
Factors Affecting College Decisions
In spite of the uncertainty, 65% of respondents in a Chronicle survey believe they will attend face-to-face classes in the fall. However, students seem more ready to return to school than their parents are to let them do so.
Jimmy Malone, co-host of the WMJI morning show asked parents what their thoughts were on the matter. One father replied, “Not feeling very good about it, but it’s hard to stand in the way of your child’s dreams, and it’s not fair that they don’t get the same opportunities as every other generation.”
Over the past few months, parents and students have shared the following concerns for college planning in a COVID-19 world:
- Concern for the high cost of education without the true college experience
- Disbelief that college students can maintain social distancing on campus
- Fear related to sharing classrooms, bathrooms and dorms
- Confusion over how colleges plan to tackle the COVID-19 crisis
Apply for a Sallie Mae Private Student Loan
Edvisors (Edvisors Network, Inc.
) provides independent advertising-supported platforms for consumers to search compare and apply for private student loans.
- Choose the #1 Private Student Loan Lender in the Nation. Sallie Mae is trusted by more families than any other private student loan lender.
- Applying online is easy - you could receive a credit result in about 10 minutes.2
Borrow Responsibly
We encourage students and families to start with savings, grants, scholarships, and federal student loans to pay for college. Students and families should evaluate all anticipated monthly loan payments, and how much the student expects to earn in the future, before considering a private student loan.
Explore federal loans and compare to make sure you understand the terms and features. Private student loans that have variable rates can go up over the life of the loan. Federal student loans are required by law to provide a range of flexible repayment options, including, but not limited to, income -based repayment and income-contingent repayment plans, and loan forgiveness and deferment benefits, which other student loans are not required to provide. Federal loans generally have origination fees, but are available to students regardless of income.
Loans for Undergraduate & Career Training Students are not intended for graduate students and are subject to credit approval, identity verification, signed loan documents, and school certification. Student must attend a participating school. Student or cosigner must meet the age of majority in their state of residence. Students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must reside in the U.S., attend school in the U.S., apply with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident), and provide an unexpired government-issued photo ID. Requested loan amount must be at least $1,000.
1Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment.
2Although we do not charge a penalty or fee if you prepay your loan, any prepayment will be applied as outlined in your promissory note-first to Unpaid Fees and costs, then to Unpaid Interest, and then to Current Principal.
3Based on a comparison of the percentage of students who were approved for any Sallie Mae loan with a cosigner to the percentage of students who were approved without a cosigner from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.
4For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website will be subject to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time.
Information advertised valid as of 05/16/2025.
Edvisors is not the creditor for these loans and is compensated by Sallie Mae for the referral of Sallie Mae loan customers.
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Apply for a College Ave Private Student Loan
Edvisors (Edvisors Network, Inc.
) provides independent advertising-supported platforms for consumers to search compare and apply for private student loans.
- Competitive APRs starting at 3.47%1
- Coverage up to 100% of your school-certified cost of attendance ($1,000 minimum) 2
- Apply online in 3 minutes and get an instant credit decision
College Ave's student loan products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
1All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation.
2As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000.
3This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.
Information advertised valid as of 03/03/2025. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.
What the Potential Alternatives Are
As the concerned father noted, the younger generations have not had the same opportunities as their predecessors, partially due to two recessions in just 12 years. Subsequently, many have experimented with alternative ways of living, gaining an education or building a career. The prevalence in the adoption of these plans might continue to grow in the next few years.
1. Learning Online
Millennials are often nicknamed the internet generation and were the pioneers of full-service online learning. Many pursued degrees and certifications online while holding down full-time jobs or traveling abroad. This has led the path for many college students today. Several colleges developed online programs before any thought of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic forced colleges to expand their offerings even further. This upcoming fall many colleges and universities are opting for hybrid (in-person and online) and fully online programs. In some cases, even if students are welcomed back on campus not only will strict distancing be enforced inside classrooms, students may also be restricted from shared spaces like dining halls and dorm rooms with more than one person. Arguably, some of these social interactions are also a big part of the learning process; especially where study groups might have previously been able to gather.
2. Attend Community College
Several colleges have announced that the tuition will remain the same even if they only provide online classes. Subsequently, many people now advocate for attending community colleges. In fact, Connecticut is offering free community college classes.
Using community college to reduce the cost of your degree or program is not new. However, it’s now a serious option for those who aren’t quite sure about what they want to do next. It’s a way to keep yourself in the routine of continuing your education, while giving you some time to deal with the current reality.
Taking a Gap Year
Some aspiring graduates have decided to opt out of college in the fall, altogether. One high school baseball player shared, “Even though my profile says class of '21, I'm actually a 2020 grad taking a gap year. I plan to start college in the fall of 2021.”
The potential downside here, students have to figure out what they’re going to do on their year off. With the pandemic students may not have the opportunity to travel or work.
Tips for Returning to Campus During COVID-19
The possibility of in-person classes increases drastically if Americans manage to flatten the curve. As cases climb across the country, however, this is becoming more of an uncertainty. Even so, there are a few things parents and students can do to prepare:
- Consider online classes and/or community college to remain close to home
- Consider renting an apartment instead of sharing a dorm
- Stock up on masks, gloves and cleaning supplies
- Make an attendance decision based on each institution’s COVID-19 policies
If you need additional help with college planning in a COVID-19 world, Edvisors can help. Reach out to us on Facebook or submit a question through Ask the Edvisor®.