As COVID-19 impact spreads California Community Colleges; CARES Act aid expected shortly
California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley at a teleconference for California Community College Student newspaper & radio representatives. Photographed in the now deserted center of the main campus of Santa Monica College, in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday, April 14th 2020. Colleges have been closed all across California since mid-March because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. (Marco Pallotti/The Corsair)
With the United States entering an economic recession, and the coronavirus’ expected impact now expanded into the fall, California’s community colleges are managing new ways to adapt and to support their students. In a virtual press conference on Tuesday, Chancellor of California Community Colleges (CCC) Eloy Oakley pointed towards meal distribution plans, personal protection equipment (PPE) donations to local hospitals, and various executive orders as examples of the ongoing action taken by the CCC to remain involved in the local community and mitigate further negative impacts upon education and the student body. Among the executive orders were the temporary elimination of student withdraw regulations, elimination of penalization for student refunds, and emergency exceptions for lost in-person hospital hours required for nursing students.
Chancellor Oakley also pointed to the newly allocated money under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the recent coronavirus relief bill signed by President Trump on March 27, allocating $14 billion towards higher education relief. California community colleges are expected to receive $300 million as aid intended for students. The money’s distribution to the individual colleges is managed by the federal government, based on the enrolled student population.
Upon receiving the funds, the individual college has discretion over spending, though the chancellor and board’s offices have provided recommendations, including to equally target all students despite documentation.
The aid, which is generally earmarked for covering childcare, food, student housing, and course material costs, is “just not enough” to match the needs set by Chancellor Oakley, especially considering the challenge presented by a lack of broadband internet, essential to conducting online classes. “The most technologically advanced state has some of the worst access to broadband,” Oakley said, “That’s maddening.” In a move to close the gap between funds and needs, the usage of existing funds within colleges have been significantly deregulated to provide more flexibility.
The question of funding has become increasingly prevalent as the United States enters a recession and resources are reallocated and stretched to support students and fight the spread of the virus. Californian community colleges are primarily funded by the state of California and the federal government, both of which are expected to intake reduced tax revenue due to the recession. In addition, the delayed tax filing deadline means that public institutions will have less time to assess and prepare for income shortfalls. In anticipation of the revenue fallout, the state of California announced that next year’s budget would be a workload budget, which only allocates funds towards existing projects.
“There will likely be cuts,” said Chancellor Oakley. “We don’t know what the impact will be, but there will be an impact.” Cuts to California’s education system would be the first in several years, which rose to nearly $16 billion allocated towards community colleges in the 2020 budget. Looming budget cuts have propelled a new push for census participation, the official resource used for fund allocation to states from the federal government.
“If we do not get an accurate count, we will see less resources over the next ten years” said Oakley. “Please, please do everything you can to inform [your community] about the census.”
The effects of the coronavirus on education are now expected to last into the summer, with the fall semester of 2020 looking increasingly impacted. Chancellor Oakley suggested that social distancing and remote learning may stay in place until spring of 2021, citing the possibility of a resurgence in the fall.
The crisis has changed how many colleges are dealing with applications and are planning for student life. The University of California and California State University systems have both begun to accept pass/fail classes on transcripts, with many private colleges across the nation following suit and temporarily becoming test optional. The long-term possibility of the coronavirus has also forced colleges to consider eventually re-opening with new social distancing rules including empty seats in lecture halls, simulations, and hybrid courses which combine in-class experience with online teaching.
As of April 14, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Safer at Home order remains in effect till May 15.