We're one year in to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its effects are causing a negative trend in Texas college enrollment.

According to a report from the Dallas Morning News and the National Student Clearinghouse, undergraduate enrollment has decreased by 3.6% since 2019.

The drop in college enrollment is believed to be linked to COVID-19 due to the obstacles involved with remote learning. Many campuses are still partially closed, making it harder for students to gain access to resources that they may need.

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A new initiative called  Future Focused Texas  is seeking to help maintain college enrollment rates in Texas despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.

The campaign will not only help students seeking help with college enrollment, but will also work with school counselors on how to best assist students in transitioning to higher level learning.

The Future Focused Texas website mission states:

"The Future Focused TX campaign - a public-private collaboration - aims to increase college access professionals’ capacity to serve students virtually and with greater frequency during this very challenging time. This statewide effort provides free, compelling, research-based digital content to school counselors to help their students graduate and matriculate into college."

Navigating your first steps to college can be extremely difficult without the help of an experienced individual. Then think about those who are already facing other hurdles with limited resources, such as a lack of access to secure and stable internet.

Experts expect COVID-19 to continue creating challenges for students trying to transition to college. With the right tools, Texans can change this downward trend in college enrollments.

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