As the above infographic shows, asked about how
COVID-19 is impacting fall enrollment plans, a total of 12 percent are
uncertain or no longer plan to enroll at all. Meanwhile, an additional
three percent say they are planning to enroll in the fall to make up
classes not completed in the spring due to COVID-19, meaning it is not
clear those students are planning to fully re-enroll. Finally, three
percent say they were not planning to enroll previously and that has not
changed.
All that totals 17 percent of students who are
uncertain or definitely not returning, a mixed picture for institutions
already suffering significant financial losses due to the pandemic and
adding to a very uncertain portrait of what fall enrollment might look
like.
These findings are relatively consistent with other surveys completed on prospective college students. For instance, Inside Higher Ed reported
on a number of similar surveys, noting that among them, a Maguire
Associates survey found 12 percent of prospective students indicated
they are considering delaying enrollment to spring or fall 2021, and a
Primacy survey found that 29 percent strongly or somewhat agree that “I
have considered deferring attending college until COVID-19 passes."
Another example cited in that story, a survey by the Art & Science
Group, found that 17 percent of high school seniors indicated they
definitely or likely will change their plans to attend a four-year
institution in the fall, instead planning to take a gap year or enroll
in a program part time.