Another Symptom of COVID-19: Student Enrollment Declines

Students weigh educational plans as they face unprecedented challenges.

As the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic hit California last fall, Santa Monica College (SMC) data shows student enrollment dropped by 6.85% compared to Fall 2019. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) also reported course withdrawals across the community college system increased by 55% during spring 2020—a percentage that could provide a more accurate assessment of the harsh and potentially irreversible academic impacts the pandemic is having on community college students.

Ana Cobarrubias, an environmental science major at SMC who recently recovered from COVID-19 along with her entire family, understands the educational struggles of the health crisis well since the pandemic upended many of her academic plans and is putting her broader professional aspirations into question.

"When [COVID-19] happened last year, it just completely sidetracked all of [my transferring] goals, because I had so much trouble concentrating on the classes—I only have hard science classes," said Cobarrubias. "And I'm someone that needs a lot of help, a lot of in-person visuals...And so because of that, I was taking two five-unit courses [in Fall 2020] and [ended up] just taking one."

A recent COVID-19 student survey by the California Student Aid Commission shed further light on the range of stressors students have faced during the pandemic, which reflect both economic and personal struggles. According to the study, 71% of students reported losing some or all of their income, 34% reported they felt they needed to work more, and 46% experienced a change in their living situation.

Cobarrubias lost her part-time job at the SMC Center for Environmentalism and Urban Studies (CEUS) due to campus closures which caused her to struggle to pay for internet services, food, and a functional laptop. This job loss also resulted in the loss of a critical source of personal fulfillment and connection to the campus community which has impacted her overall well-being.

“I really enjoyed working [at CEUS]...and I loved talking with people in the buildings and it just gave me energy. Now, you're just inside of the house all day, doing homework, trying to catch up and dealing with family life,” said Cobarrubias. “I feel like I kind of lost a lot of energy...so that definitely plays a big role in our mental health and my mental health personally.”

The enrollment and retention declines are not unique to SMC and actually reflect statewide and national trends which are raising alarms across community college campuses. In California, the community college system is known as the backbone of higher education and socioeconomic mobility—especially for students of lower-income backgrounds and students of color.

As a result of the troubling declines, public officials across the state have taken action in an attempt to prevent further enrollment plunges. In February 2021, a press release from California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley urged students to apply for FAFSA as initial information indicated applications for federal aid had dropped significantly, a potential sign of future decreased enrollment.

A few days after that announcement, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an emergency economic relief package which allocated $100 million in emergency relief targeted at community college students taking six or more units, and $20 million for students “who have either left their community college studies because of the pandemic or to engage students at risk of leaving.” Additional funding to support newly eligible students in applying for supplemental food assistance was also announced.

While this financial assistance may alleviate some of the challenges facing community college students, it’s difficult to predict whether the support will reach students before they are forced into alternate career plans. Recent preliminary national data for spring 2021 reported by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, while presenting a nationwide outlook, shows community colleges have suffered a 9.5% enrollment decline.

Cobarrubias is only six courses away from transferring but the courses are rigorous five-unit classes, STEM courses, that include math, science, physics, and chemistry which have become even more challenging as COVID-19 stressors have made it more difficult to focus.

"In getting [COVID-19 and] having to just adjust to everything, it's definitely taking me a lot longer," said Cobarrubias. "I'm actually considering whether I should either transfer out or instead just get an A.A. or get some certificates. I am interested in the recycling resource management program and in the sustainability certificates."

Despite all the pandemic setbacks, Cobarrubias' optimistic outlook and her passion for the natural environment, sustainability, and recycling remain intact. Even as she decides exactly what to do next, she's leading an environmentalism project for South Central youth focused on food justice, climate change, conservation, and advocacy for public lands.