Photo: Jason Remond

The pandemic prevented most first-year international students from coming to America last fall—the number of new foreign students in the United States fell by 72 percent in 2020. Now, colleges are concerned that the rise in anti-Asian discrimination and violence could make international students, 70 percent of whom are from Asian countries, think twice about coming to the United States. 

At the same time, colleges are wrestling with how to support current international students, for whom studying here may have been a hard introduction to racism.

The pandemic forced Brittany Adnoff to make an impossible choice: continue pursuing a college education or devote her time to helping her daughters, age 8 and 9, successfully make the transition from public school to home schooling. 

Thousands of students across California’s community colleges wrestle with the dilemma of whether to attend or stay in college during the pandemic. Some delayed their education to care for children and family members. Others had to take jobs or add hours to support their families. Some dropped out of courses in frustration after encountering problems logging into online classes. 

Photo: Andrea Pekelnicky

College loan relief has once again surfaced on a national level as legislators propose different amounts of debt forgiveness for student borrowers. But loans are more than a policy issue or financial matter.

Once a college loan is taken out, borrowers must navigate a complex process of paying it back. In Pennsylvania, more than 1.7 million residents have unpaid student loans, totaling $61.5 billion. For many former students, carrying tens of thousands of dollars in debt seems inevitable. Four Pennsylvania borrowers reflect on their experiences.