Many people are hurting from the massive layoffs caused by COVID-19, but unemployment for someone with only a high school diploma or some college experience is almost twice that of a person with a bachelor's degree or higher. And things are even worse for women and people of color.

The country has entered a time where everyone needs some form of postsecondary education to make a decent living, but not everyone can earn a degree right away. Faster, more affordable, and employer-aligned pathways are needed for more Americans to find their way into high-quality jobs.

A new report from the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University shows that Black undergraduates trust college leaders significantly less than their white peers, and that the pandemic has caused a slight drop in trust in administrators among all students.

Shannon Calderone, co-author of the report, says the findings "speak to the alienation and lack of sense of belonging” historically felt by students of color at colleges. Despite many administrators creating initiatives, offices, and policies directed at improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in recent years, Black students continue to distrust college leaders, especially if those leaders are not people of color themselves.