When her college went remote last spring because of the coronavirus, Sunny Lamb suddenly lost access to her part-time job as a student worker in the campus library. She dipped into her savings to help pay living expenses.

While the pandemic has affected nearly everyone, college students may be particularly vulnerable due to their lower earning potential and the disruptions of campus shutdowns. More campuses are responding with emergency relief funds, technology, and food distribution.

A Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate spells some good news for the higher-education agenda of President-elect Joseph R. Biden, as well as more emergency money for colleges to offset the financial losses of the pandemic.

But a closely divided Congress will make it hard for the majority party to pass any major legislation, like a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, or push through enough money for widespread student-loan forgiveness or a federal free-college program.