Nearly half of respondents (49 percent) in a new survey reported that the cost of living and the cost of tuition and course materials were the reasons they either deferred college or canceled it. Among high school graduates, those costs were the biggest barriers, compared to other reasons they might have chosen: the status of the pandemic, the flexibility to take classes online or the time required to finish their desired programs. Among dropouts, the cost of living was the most-cited barrier; for current students, the biggest hurdle wasn't cost, but rather the need for choice in how they take classes — online or in-person — followed closely by the cost of living.
