#coronavirus #COVID19 #FlattenTheCurve #CollegeDreams #SummerMelt
They call it “summer melt.”
It’s the period between high school graduation and the beginning of college.
This year, the coronavirus complicates “summer melt.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an article about the virus and “summer melt” in its June 8, 2020, issue.
Some experts are predicting big drops in college enrollment this fall, the article says.
Colleges are unsure when they will open in the fall.
“There is a risk that a wide swath of kids get knocked off their college track. And it gets infinitely harder to get back on,” the article quotes Taylor Ramsey, executive director of OneGoal Metro Atlanta, a non-profit that works to improve college access.
People are really afraid for their health. To compound the problem, many parents of upcoming college students have lost their jobs because of the virus, making it more financially difficult to send their kids to college, the article says.
OneGoal works with about 320 Atlanta and DeKalb County students, including high schoolers, recent graduates and first-year college students, the article says.
When schools abruptly closed this spring, seniors were working on financial aid applications. Some started to get acceptance letters. Others were still applying to college, the article says.
Ramsey told the newspaper that she has asked students what they were going to do if school didn’t open in the fall. The answer was “I have no idea,” the article quotes Ramsey.
So what happens to these students now? It’s really hard to know. But, many can take comfort in knowing that if their college dreams are delayed, they can embark on one of the many programs out there that allow people to earn money by investing a few part-time hours a week. These programs are not like a traditional job, and they can help set up a future for them, regardless of what else they pursue, or when they pursue it.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
Pandemic aside, one does not have to go to college to find success.
Some students are not suited for college. Others may have to assume loads to debt to get through college.
Others, still, may go to college, pursue a field of study that will not automatically convert to a good job. Add a big debt on top of a job that pays relatively little, and you have a situation that makes it difficult to save for the future.
If you were headed down such a path, the effects of the pandemic may force you to rethink your options.
As you rethink your options, know that there may be more options available to you than you may have considered.
Consider this thought: what if I could pursue my passion and not necessarily have to worry about money? It seems farfetched, but if you have an open mind, and are willing to look at things you may have never thought you would do, the possibilities are endless.
Peter