Pandemic First-Years, Adult Learners, and the Never Enrolled: Revisiting the High School Class of 2020

For generations of Americans, their senior year of high school was highlighted by homecoming, class trips, prom, and graduation. This was not the case for the class of 2020. High school ended with remote learning, few opportunities for socialization, and a future driven by fear and uncertainty. It’s no surprise that when it came time to choose a college for the fall, the National Student Clearinghouse data indicate that over 560,000 students chose not to attend. Community colleges, schools often serving our most vulnerable students, were responsible for 96 percent of that decline. For those who did attend, college lacked community and engagement, hallmarks of the higher education experience, which were replaced by screens, social distancing, and minimal socialization.