Fall 2020 was an extraordinary time for colleges and universities in Hawai‘i as the state continued to deal with the effects of the pandemic. Although Hawai‘i had the fewest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the strict measures that likely helped keep those numbers so low have created a challenging economic situation for many. Unemployment in the state increased, college enrollment declined, and the importance of addressing students’ basic needs was magnified.
This report sheds light on how students attending colleges and universities in Hawai‘i fared given the extraordinary circumstances of fall 2020. Specifically, we present results from the fall 2020 #RealCollege Survey, fielded at nine of the University of Hawai’i System’s colleges from September to November 2020. Invitations to complete the survey were sent by email to 48,133 students from the University of Hawai’i System and 1,016 students participated, yielding an estimated response rate of 2.1%.
Topics covered include:
- Impacts of the pandemic on:
- Students’ health, employment, and well-being
- Parenting students’ childcare demands
- Students’ basic needs security
- Utilization of public and campus supports, including SNAP and emergency aid
- Disparities in students’ needs and access to supports