After working and saving up money, Marco Flores was able to experience on-campus living at Paul Quinn College for the first time last spring.
However, once spring break arrived, students were unable to return to campus due to the health concerns around COVID-19.
He went from having access to institutional resources to lacking his own space and sleeping on the couch in his family home.
“It was pretty difficult to just focus and do my classwork,” said Flores, a sophomore at Paul Quinn College. “Another thing, I would help my father with his landscaping business. I started to feel the need to help him more and started prioritizing work over school.”
Due to mounting bills and home responsibilities, he is unable to live on campus for the upcoming fall semester.
“Institutions can help students through this transition by accommodating these students that won’t be returning back on campus,” said Flores. “They are opting out for fully remote experience…They aren’t dropping out. They aren’t giving up on their career. They are just trying to work with what they have.”
With other students sharing similar stories, the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice researched the impact of COVID-19 on higher education institutions and its students in Texas through the lens of employment, enrollment, mental health and basic needs insecurity.
