Christina Paxson, the president of Brown University, argues in a New York Times op-ed that reopening college campuses this fall "should be a national priority."
Why it matters: Paxson says university administrators around the country have found that the financial impact of the pandemic has already exceeded the $14 billion set aside for colleges and universities in the coronavirus stimulus package.
What she's saying: "The basic business model for most colleges and universities is simple — tuition comes due twice a year at the beginning of each semester," Paxson writes.
- "Most colleges and universities are tuition dependent. Remaining closed in the fall means losing as much as half of our revenue."
- "Institutions should develop public health plans now that build on three basic elements of controlling the spread of infection: test, trace and separate."
Paxson warns that students, especially those from low-income households, face financial psychological barriers when they try to learn remotely.
- They might not have reliable internet access or private study spaces.
- "If they can’t come back to campus, some students may choose — or be forced by circumstances — to forgo starting college or delay completing their degrees," she writes.
Go deeper: Coronavirus sends American universities over a cliff
