The Coronavirus pandemic has changed how everyone lives their life day to day. People have to work from home. Small businesses can’t afford to stay open. High schools and colleges have been forced to move classes online. But there are larger implications for students than just the effects of online classes. 

As schools across the country begin finals, there are students who are facing larger problems than just their grades. 

The economic impact of COVID-19 is talked about a lot. Everyone is talking about how businesses will be impacted and how the stock market will look when all of this is over. But the economic impact is also significant for students, especially those who are trying to work their way through college or who usually work summer jobs to earn money for school supplies. With the unemployment rate skyrocketing, jobs are a lot harder to come by, and for people who are high risk, finding jobs is even harder. Additionally, a lot of summer programs that usually hire students are being cancelled. On top of that, students from low-income families are now living at home and no longer have access to their meal plans, which means they’re placing more weight on their family’s finances. 

Even with that in mind, legislators have failed to come up with a stimulus package that includes students. Almost all the legislation that has been proposed excludes dependents who are over the age of 17, and most college students, especially those from low-income families fall into that category.

So what can be done to help students if the pandemic persists? 

First of all, elected officials need to start doing their jobs and fight for all Americans. There are millions of Americans who the stimulus package has failed to help, and students deserve to be taken into account when they legislate. Second, the burden also falls on colleges and universities. With the possibility of school still being online when the fall semester arrives, schools need to take action and cut tuition costs so that students aren’t paying for services that they aren’t receiving.

It’s not fair for students to have to face this alone while businesses and other individuals receive benefits from the government.