Congress Needs to Prevent a Flight From College

The coronavirus outbreak forced students at colleges across the U.S. to finish the spring semester at home. As Congress considers additional relief for higher education, lawmakers should focus on helping students at greatest risk of abandoning their studies altogether.

According to surveys, enrollment in four-year colleges could drop by as much as 20% this fall. Attrition among poor and minority students is likely to be worse. Close to two-thirds of minority students say the crisis has changed their higher-education plans, and four out of 10 graduating from high school likely won’t enroll in college this year.