Why Didn’t the Community College Students Come Back?
Rachel Fishman and Olivia Cheche
February 22, 2023
As we near the third anniversary of nationwide pandemic closures, it’s hard to fathom how completely our lives have changed. We’ve settled into a new way of being—it’s not quite the “before times,” but also not the dark days when we faced so many unknowns about COVID-19. Life has adapted. More people are socializing. More are returning to offices and downtowns. Long-awaited trips are being taken. Children are back in school. And college campuses across the United States are open.
Yet progress feels tenuous. Inflation is high. Housing, food, and gas prices have grown, putting pressure on household budgets. Climbing interest rates have made it more costly to borrow. A tight labor market has led to a shortage of childcare workers, making it challenging for working parents to find care. COVID-19 is still simmering in the background, along with a soup of other viruses. Downtowns are not as bustling as they once were, with many white-collar workers working hybrid or fully-remote schedules. Many children never returned to school. And many college students haven’t either.
