Karen Macias had hoped to visit colleges during spring break. Instead, the coronavirus outbreak meant she spent the week picking up extra hours at her Walgreens job.

For seniors like Macias, the wave of school shutdowns has come at a particularly difficult time. It has disrupted college tours and canceled standardized tests. Students planning to enroll at community colleges are in many cases just starting their applications, sometimes without access to the internet at home. And with high schools closed, students can’t get in-person guidance from counselors about financial aid and more.

Kevin Rivera is a senior at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Lately, he's been spending days at a time alone in his apartment. 

Rivera, a first-generation college student, pays for his off-campus apartment, groceries, and other bills by himself. Unlike most of his friends who have returned to their hometowns, he’s stuck near campus. He doesn’t have reliable internet at his home in Rosenberg, which would make online instruction difficult.

And while UTSA is continuing to keep its food pantry open, provide health and counseling services, and offer dining options for takeout only, the school can only do so much to help students like Rivera.