Schools Map the Covid College Experience

The New York Times: "Fever checkpoints at the entrances to academic buildings. One-way paths across the grassy quad. Face masks required in classrooms and dining halls. And a dormitory-turned-quarantine facility for any students exposed to the coronavirus. That was one vision for the fall semester at the University of Kentucky conjured up by a special committee last week — and not the most dystopian scenario ... Similar discussions have taken place at almost every American college and university over the last few weeks, as administrators fiercely debate whether they can safely reopen their campuses, even as most provide students with encouraging messages about the prospects of returning in the fall."

"Notre Dame became one of the first major universities in the country to announce detailed plans for bringing back students, saying it would implement a regimen of testing and contact tracing, put quarantine and isolation protocols in place, and require students to maintain social distancing and wear masks in public. Notre Dame’s decision is in contrast to an announcement last week by the California State University system, which will keep its 23 campuses largely shut and teach nearly half a million students remotely. Most other universities have said they are planning to reopen in the fall, but have yet to announce specific plans."

"Notre Dame said it would start the fall semester on Aug. 10, two weeks early, and end it before Thanksgiving, forgoing fall break. South Carolina made a similar announcement, saying it would also skip fall break and switch to remote instruction after Thanksgiving. In Kentucky, the teams debated similar ideas, talking about reconfiguring the traditional 16-week semester in a number of ways: Split it into two eight-week half-semesters, or go for 12 weeks plus four weeks, or even five, five and five. Such changes would allow for maximum flexibility, proponents of the various scenarios said, in case another outbreak forced administrators to send students home again for virtual instruction, as they did in March."

Students Itching to Return to Campus

Axios: "Nearly two thirds of college students say they would attend in-person classes if colleges reopen in the fall, even if there is no coronavirus vaccine or cure, according to a new College Reaction poll ... The findings suggest that even when faced with the prospect of packed-in lecture halls without a vaccine, most students want to get back to their classes and have an actual college experience, not a virtual one. By the numbers: 65% say they would attend in-person classes; 31% say they would only attend virtually; and 4% say they would withdraw from school." "The desire to attend classes in person comes as students report that the virtual education experience is full of pitfalls: 45% say they attend class less often and more than 70% say they're distracted by their phone, computer and things going on at home." However: "The college experience isn't exactly about sheltering in place and keeping six feet away from people, so college administrators will have to solve the public health challenges if they expect to bring students back." "The U.S. jobs collapse has coincided with school getting out for the summer, and students are reckoning with rescinded full-time offers, postponed start dates and in some fortunate cases, virtual internships. Twenty-seven percent of students in the College Reaction poll say they have a full-time job this summer, while 23% say they have a part-time job. Many other students are taking up volunteer work for their neighborhood or city or otherwise picking up new skills."

Some Scholarships Extend Deadlines

US News: "Financial aid experts encourage students to start the scholarship search as early as possible. But for those who got a late start or whose financial situation has changed in recent months, there are some scholarships that are still open ... Here are a few additional examples of late-deadline national scholarships:"

• DoSomething.org scholarships, amounts vary (May 15-31)

• Barry J. Nace Pursuit of Justice Scholarship, $3,000 (June 1)

• Claes Nobel Academic Excellence Scholarship, $5,000 (June 1)

• Abbott & Fenner Scholarship, $1,000 (June 12)

• Korean American Scholarship Foundation, $500 to $5,000 (June 30)

• Good Lawyers / Good People Scholarship, $1,000 (July 1)

• Villarreal Law Scholarship, $1,000 (July 1)