Survey: Students of Color Report Greater Academic, Emotional Toll From Pandemic

In an online survey from the Global Strategy Group and The Education Trust, students of color and low income students reported greater academic, financial and emotional tolls from the COVID-19 pandemic than did the general student population.

The survey, conducted online from May 14-19, collected feedback from a pool of 1,010 two-year, four-year and undergraduate certificate students nationwide.

Key findings include:

• More than three in four students are concerned about being on track to graduate from their program. For Black and Latinx students, that percentage rose to 84% and 81%, respectively.
• Roughly a third of students reported skipping a meal or reducing how much they eat as a result of the pandemic. For low-income students, that percentage rose to 43%.
• 32% of students nationwide indicated that their college or university was offering accessible mental health services during the pandemic. For Black students, that percentage dropped to 24%.
• Likewise, 73% of students feared developing or worsening depression, anxiety or other mental health issues during this time. These concerns rose for students from non-English speaking homes (82%), associate degree students of color (79%) and Latinx women (78%).
• Half of students nationwide said their school has provided virtual office hours or ways to connect with academic advisors, while just 39% of Black students and 43% of low-income students said the same.