The sudden closure of school buildings led to decline in the number of students applying for U.S. federal college aid.

During the sudden break from school this spring, students were cut off from school counselors and families with financial setbacks reconsidered plans of higher education.

Applications for federal aid dropped by nearly half compared to last year's numbers. In the first weeks of the pandemic, a sudden decline among students from low-income schools also happened, said a report from Associated Press.

When states and schools started campaigns encouraging students to apply for aid, the numbers went up but are still lower compared to last year.

Education officials are alarmed with this.

They believe thousands of students are thinking of delaying or missing college. This can leave a big impact for the students' future jobs and earnings.

David Nieslanik, principal of Southridge High School in Beaverton, Oregon said this can lead to kids going directly into the workforce. "They're closing the door on post-high school learning," he said.

Nieslanik noticed that only more well off students filed for aid when instruction was moved online.

In an email to The Detroit News, Brian Gutman of Education Trust-Midwest called the drop "disappointing but not surprising".

Gutman noted that students and families need support from their schools to find their way around college planning and that includes access to college aid, especially during the pandemic.

In the four weeks starting March 13, completed applications were still less compared to last year at  45%.

Even before the pandemic, a decrease in applications was expected since there were fewer high school seniors but as the coronavirus spread, every state experienced decreases compared to last year's levels. This includes states that had more high school seniors this year.

In AP's analysis, the sharpest decrease was at public schools that have large shares of low-income students at 52%. Other schools had a 39% slide only.

Overall, applications went down by 70,000 as of June 19. This is a 3.7% drop for the entire application cycle.

Gregory Cole, principal of Mojave High School in Nevada, said the pandemic came at "the very worst time."

Cole said the school was a "lifeline" for a lot of the students. He said the students needed help through the process and he finds it very possible that some of them are going to "fall through the cracks".

Many Latino Students Are Intimidated by College Costs

USA Today reported last May that the number of Latino students enrolled in college rose from 2016 to 2017, from 3.17 million to 3.27 million. This makes double the 1.4 million Latino students in college in 2000.

But keeping Hispanic students is "less than optimal" said Deborah Santiago, co-founder of advocacy group Excelencia in Education that focuses on Latino students.

Data from American Council on Education show that about 70% of Latino undergraduates in higher education from families in the lower half of earners.

Santiago said educational institutions can't just enroll students if they won't graduate. "The only growth population is Hispanics. So we're saying you have got to focus on what it means to serve," she said.

She also said more colleges need to make sure students have access to financial aid because many students are pushing for it too.

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