Low-Income Students Bearing the Brunt of COVID-19 Pandemic

As COVID-19 cases continue to dwindle, it is important to acknowledge the pandemic’s effects on K-12 students, specifically those from underserved, low-income communities. The 2020-2021 school year was one of the most challenging academic years our nation has seen, and less-economically privileged students borne the burden. For many, academic growth was stunted, and it’s no surprise. These children were stripped of academic milestones, access to traditional schooling, and the ability to foster lasting memories.

Online Schooling Widens the Achievement Gap

As summer break rolls around, students are able to disconnect from their academic studies for roughly three months. But this comes with a price to pay: losing educational gains they made the previous school year. A recent study conducted by Allison Atteberry and Andrew McEachin highlights these losses. The average student loses between 17 and 28 percent of school-year gains in English/language arts and 25 and 34 percent in math. These losses are showcased through test scores. Even prior to the pandemic, 9th grade low-income students were underperforming on standardized testing in comparison to their middle-class peers because of knowledge loss from grades 1 through 5. Gains, especially for low-income students, are predicted to exponentially decrease as the pandemic continues to disrupt traditional schooling. This is a setback for low-income students, as not retaining their gains will only widen the achievement gap between them and wealthier students.

Technical Difficulties

Access to wi-fi and a functional technological device played pivotal roles during the 2020-2021 school year. Class was often held via video communicatory platforms such as Zoom and Skype. Students were expected to have a stable internet connection and a device to attend class. Though these expectations seemed reasonable, considering the circumstances at the time, access to these digital school supplies were out of reach for some. The Associated Press estimated that over 3 million low-income students did not have access to either a device or internet. Schools tried to mitigate this issue by launching initiatives that would equip their students with the tools needed to complete the school year. By establishing partnerships with internet connection companies like Xfinity and AT&T, as well as providing students with iPads, Chromebooks, Macbooks, etc., schools ensured their students were properly prepared.

Pursuing Higher Education

As the 2020-2021 school year came to a close, the rate at which high school seniors went on to pursue higher education plummeted, specifically for low income students. Unlike their wealthy counterparts, who had access to private online tutors and personal academic advisers who can guide them through the college application process, underprivileged kids had to rely on the limited resources at their school. These high schoolers were assigned to a counselor who was required to provide advice when prompted and write recommendation letters to a student’s school of choice. Counselors were expected to tailor these documents to an individual student; however, without being able to physically connect with the student, it became increasingly difficult to gauge what their personality was, what their true interests were, and where their strengths lie. Though they tried their best, their letters may have been unrepresentative of who the student is and their advice may have been lackluster.

Acquiring money to fund higher education has also been an obstacle that low-income students have had to overcome. The scholarship application process has historically favored the wealthy. Research from the Hechinger Report reveals that students whose family generates an annual income of $106,000 earn 4 percent more scholarships in comparison to their poorer counterparts whose family only generates an annual $30,000. Due to the pandemic, this percentage has only been exacerbated. Scholarship organizations grant their financial awards to high achieving students who are actively involved in their community. But with standardized testing coming to a halt in order to comply with CDC guidelines and most of the population being indoors, the applicant pool for scholarships has become insanely competitive, leaving low-income students in the dust.

Abuse Goes Unnoticed

The adverse effects of the pandemic followed students into their family lives. Students that come from low-income families were already under economic stress, and the shutdown only made matters worse. As explained in the data collected by The Brookings Institution, parents were in distress as unemployment rates were at an all time high. They were afraid of what the future may hold, and thus responded to their children’s “anxious behaviors or demands” with violence or other abusive mannerisms. This spike in physical abuse and neglect of children was being swept under the rug due to the “stay-at-home orders” that child protection agencies and schools were forced to comply with. Without educators and agencies being able to detect the signs of abuse and disclose this information to authorities, the mental and physical health of low-income children deteriorated.

Lack of Income

It is not strange for low-income individuals to juggle multiple jobs while being a full-time student. For many, it is expected by their families to bring in an extra stream of income to keep their household afloat. But as COVID-19 cases surged, 39 percent of students were left unemployed, decreasing 64 percent of their household earnings, says the National Library of Medicine. When analyzing these statistics, yet again, low-income students were getting the short end of the stick. Approximately 20 percent of Pell recipient students were more likely to “lose [their] job,” 17 percent more likely to “experience income losses,” and 65 percent more likely to “have faced food insecurity.”

Resources for Low-Income Students

1. Mental health treatment: Mental health matters, and searching for affordable care can be troublesome. Luckily, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has created a low-cost service locator.

2. Full-ride scholarships: If you are interested in pursuing higher education but cannot afford your dream school, check out Prep Scholar’s article for a list of scholarships that will cover all tuition costs.

3. Report abuse: Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline via text, phone, or live chat if you or someone you know is experiencing abuse.

4. Side hustles to make money: Need extra cash to splurge at your school’s bookstore? Visit The College Post’s website to discover some of the best side hustles for students.

Works Cited

Adams, Susan. “How College Admissions Have Changed during Covid.” Forbes, Forbes

Magazine, 8 Apr. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2021/04/07/how-college-admissions-have-changed-during-covid/.

Marcus, Jon. “Wealthier Students More Likely than Poor to Get Private Scholarships.” The

Hechinger Report, 8 Apr. 2021, https://hechingerreport.org/wealthier-students-more-likely-than-poor-to-get-private-scholarships/.

Reyes-Portillo, Jazmin A, et al. “The Psychological, Academic, and Economic Impact of

COVID-19 on College Students in the Epicenter of the Pandemic.” SAGE Publishing, 2022, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/21676968211066657.

Rodríguez-Planas, Núria. “Hitting Where It Hurts Most: Covid-19 and Low-Income Urban

College Students.” National Library of Medicine, Elsevier Ltd., Apr. 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8797148/#:~:text=The%20pandemic%20also%20deprived%2039,expected%20household%20income%20of%2064%25.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). “Intimate Partner

Violence and Child Abuse Considerations During COVID-19.” SAMSHA, 2021, https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/social-distancing-domestic-violence.pdf.

W, Morgan. “How Is Covid-19 Affecting College Admissions?” TheBestSchools.org, 1 Sept.

2021, https://thebestschools.org/magazine/covid-19-and-college-admissions/.