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Amid virus, US students look to colleges closer to home
As students make college plans for the fall, some U.S. universities are seeing surging interest from in-state residents who are looking to stay closer to home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
At the University of Texas at Arlington, commitments from state residents are up 26% over last year. Ohio State and Western Kentucky universities are both up about 20%. Deposits paid to attend Michigan State University are up 15% among state residents, while deposits from others are down 15%.
Colleges and admissions counselors credit the uptick to a range of factors tied to the pandemic. Students want to be closer to home in case an outbreak again forces classes online. Some are choosing nearby schools where they’re charged lower rates as state residents. And amid uncertainty around the fall term, some are paying deposits at multiple schools to keep their options open.
At the same time, scores of universities are bracing for sharp downturns in international enrollments amid visa issues and travel concerns. The result, some schools say, is that campuses will have a more local feel if they’re allowed to reopen this fall.
“We are going to be a more regional and local university,” Bob McMaster, vice provost of the University of Minnesota, told the school’s board of regents at a May meeting. “The spheres of geography have certainly changed this year.”
Universities across the U.S. have ramped up recruiting efforts amid fears that the pandemic would spur students to rethink their plans. Schools have accepted more students and reached far deeper into wait lists than in the past. Some have increased financial aid. And some have focused on recruiting students in their own backyards.
News
8:40 a.m. Cook County passes 4,000 coronavirus deaths: medical examiner
Over 4,000 people have died of coronavirus-related causes in Cook County, the medical examiner’s office announced Saturday.
With 33 more COVID-19 deaths, the county’s total rose to 4,005, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
Cook County residents make up about 68% of the 5,864 coronavirus deaths in Illinois. Earlier Saturday, Illinois health officials announced 72 more statewide deaths to go along with 975 more cases.
7:30 a.m. Archdiocese gives its blessing for dozens of Chicago-area churches to resume mass on Sunday, but urges ‘they start slow’
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/20022937/Screen_Shot_2020_06_07_at_7.38.13_AM.png "US students look to colleges closer to home amid coronavirus
pandemic (LIVE UPDATES) 2")
As houses of worship across the country grapple with how to welcome back believers following the coronavirus shutdown, the Chicago-area faithful could be returning for mass at dozens of Catholic churches this Sunday.
About 80 parishes have been cleared by Chicago’s local arm of the Catholic Church to enter its next reopening phase, which allows for regular masses “for larger groups,” according to the Archdiocese of Chicago.
That’s almost a quarter of its 316 parishes, but just because churches have been certified doesn’t mean they’ll resume mass right away, according to archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Thomas.
“It’s encouraged that they start slow,” she said.
Read the full report from Mitchell Armentrout here.
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Analysis & Commentary
7:04 a.m. A smarter way to trace the spread of COVID-19 without violating your privacy rights
Decision-makers across the country are exploring tools they can use in the battle against COVID-19. The latest device to be considered? The smartphone in your hand.
Many believe that the same phone you use to stay connected with your loved ones, get breaking news and play games might slow down the spread of COVID-19. But using our phones for this purpose is not a quick fix, and it runs the risk of tapping into private data stored on them.
Just think about all the ways you use your phones. All the places it goes with you. All the information you share with it. Now imagine giving the government or another third party access to all that information.
