Colleges and universities across the country witnessed steep enrollment declines this fall because of the pandemic. Community colleges experienced the sharpest declines. 

Waubonsee Community College in Illinois saw the same drop-off. In response, school leaders are stepping up supports to high-need students. That includes providing computers and other tech to bridge the digital divide. They’re also focusing on more career and technical programs such as contact tracing and health care that meet the moment. And a newly created workforce and solutions council will work with area businesses to better determine community needs amid an ongoing pandemic.

The college-application season is underway for the high-school class of 2021—and it’s clear that the pandemic is continuing to have equity implications for higher education.

While the volume of applications overall is up 10 percent from a year ago, there are other, more troubling trends beneath this top-line number. The number of first-generation applicants is down 3 percent from this point a year ago. And, this fall, the number of first-time freshmen declined by 13 percent from the year before, with sharp drops among first-time Black, Hispanic, and Native American students in particular.