More than 20 historically Black colleges and universities have made headlines for clearing student debt using funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The move illustrates the integral and life-changing role these institutions play in the lives of not only the Black students who attend these schools, but also their families.

In this interview, four students from three HBCUs share what it means to have their debts cleared. 

Photo: Matthew Reagan

Jaime Barrientos, a psychology student at Los Angeles Mission College, was searching for information on fall classes when he noticed that coronavirus vaccines were being offered during on-campus registration. He hadn’t planned on getting the shot. What changed his mind? The money. 

While both the University of California and California State University will require students to be vaccinated for the fall term, community college districts are choosing instead to encourage or incentivize vaccination. Some are offering money, textbooks, or other inducements to get students to sign up.