Early in the pandemic, nursing homes, jails, and meatpacking plants were the sites of coronavirus outbreaks across the country. Now, as some students return to campuses for the fall semester, the new hot spots are colleges and universities. 

One student’s story illustrates the issues with reopening.

The coronavirus has disrupted every facet of college, from the admissions process to the way professors teach. But more than upending normal college functions, the pandemic has accelerated and worsened existing equity gaps in higher education.

With the college semester now in full swing, students at three different universities in Massachusetts describe the highs and lows of their college experience during COVID-19—plus the kinds of support that can make a big difference.  

Black parents hold more student debt than parents or nonparents of any other racial or ethnic group. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Black students who are raising children borrow an average of $18,100 for college, compared with an average of $13,500 among all students.

In this opinion piece, the founder of Generation Hope talks about solutions to the student debt crisis—and how they must address the unique needs of student parents, as well as the racial inequities that disproportionately burden Black parents.