Rosensweig says economics and the need to “stay alive another year” have driven the push to resume in-person classes for universities across the country. Institutions are still reeling from the billions of dollars associated with moving to an all remote learning environment. Another semester of online courses and reduced enrollment could have devastating effects, especially on small liberal arts universities that don’t have big endowments.
The dramatic drop in international students who largely pay full tuition, steep discounts universities have offered to attract students, and a drop in state funding, have only accelerated the decline in revenue.