Harvard College is likely to see a more than 20 percent drop in enrollment this fall, according to the student-staff The Harvard Crimson news outlet. Harvard, considered among the top three universities in the United States, has been besieged with the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus. Many students cannot travel, do not want to be on campus in close quarters with others, or are deferring while classes are online because those classes are not deemed a good value financially. Students Give Online Learning Low MarksMany call on universities to end the semester earlyAbout 5,231 undergraduates intend to enroll for fall classes, the Crimson reported. Last year, Harvard had 6,755 enrolled undergraduates. Among admitted students, 340 freshmen – or 20 percent — deferred their enrollment to next year. “Between 80 and 110 students take a gap year under typical circumstances, according to the College’s website,” the Crimson reported.Harvard will hold all undergraduate classes virtually this fall. The Crimson stated that of “5,231 undergraduates who intend to enroll this fall, the majority — 3,599 students — will learn remotely, while 1,168 freshmen and 464 upperclassmen will live in residence.”Harvard “now projects that only 25 percent of students will live on campus.”Not all students will be online, however. The university has invited back to campus more than 1,000 students for whom remote learning was nearly impossible because they were lacking “sufficient computer, fast internet, a quiet place to work, or unhindered time to commit to coursework; those who faced challenging home and family circumstances or shelter and food insecurities; and those who require accessible learning resources or technology on campus.”The majority of staff will also continue to work from home.
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