ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic had a far-reaching impact on community colleges. When many campuses closed, students lost the academic and other resources available to them, including financial aid offices. Financial aid provides a crucial source of funding for low- and middle-income students attending community colleges. How has financial aid practice changed during the COVID-19 pandemic? Using interviews with staff and students, this article provides a snapshot of the ways the pandemic altered financial aid at a large community college in Texas. It argues that the loss of face-to-face interaction harmed student experience and reshaped staff practice.
Acknowledgement
Thanks to Aren Wilson-Wright for helpful comments on this manuscript. Thanks also to Jorge Burmicky and Victor Sáenz for conversations about culture of compliance and financial aid.