Originally published on July 19, 2021 2:32 pm
We continue with our summer education radio series, “Closing the COVID Gap.” In our last story, we heard from families in West Virginia who are sticking with virtual or homeschool this fall. Now, we turn our attention to high school seniors and higher education.
Last fall, less than half of West Virginia’s 2020 public high school seniors enrolled in higher education. This marked the lowest college-going rate for recent high school graduates in the state since 2000. Higher education officials say the coronavirus pandemic played some role in that drop.
Additionally, many college students struggled with mental health issues and food insecurity this past year.