Amid Pandemic, Low-Income Families Face Unique Burdens
By Otto Do, Tina Huang and Maxine Park
“Exeter is everything to me. It means a bed to sleep on, three full meals a day and complete freedom from the concerns of financial security. In many ways, residential life is a great equalizer. Exeter allows me to focus on academics, rather than surviving. You ask what resources and opportunities it gives me… What doesn’t it give me?” upper Jaekeb Harper, who identifies as low-income, said.
Many low-income students are in a position similar to Harper’s. Under local shelter-in-place orders, families face unique financial difficulties. To ease the financial stresses many families face, the Academy has offered extensive assistance and financial aid for those without adequate access to steady wireless connection. Additionally, Exeter has created a “touchpoint” system in order to accommodate students across all time zones.
“[We anticipate that] many low-income students will be spending the term in places with limited space, food and privacy and dealing with unique stresses that will make online learning difficult. On top of that, the nature of the businesses that are closing due to COVID-19 are those that will disproportionately affect low-income students,” lower Mali Rauch and Harper, co-heads of the Association of Low-Income Exonians, said in a statement to The Exonian.
International students face unique financial challenges in light of the coronavirus. “I had to scramble to find places to stay in the U.S. as I didn’t want to fly home and then back again,” senior Mai Hoang said. “[Currently,] I'm remaining in the U.S. with friends.”
Lack of space and privacy poses a particular concern for some Exonians, as they must contend with distracting learning environments and assume additional responsibilities in their homes. “I face privacy issues. In neither household do I have a room, a bed or anything at all, actually. Everything I own is currently in my dorm room, leaving me with just five pairs of clothes and my laptop,” Harper said.
Rauch shared her similar living situation. “Since moving out, I no longer have a room, a closet or a permanent bed,” she said. “I will be sleeping on a mattress on the living room floor and have no clue where I will be able to work in quiet.”
With more people staying home, several families have experienced financial strain due to the rising household grocery bill. “My family relies on my siblings and I getting at least one meal at school every day, and the cost of groceries for a family of six eating three meals a day at home is a large financial stress,” Rauch explained.
“My family has already had to resort to food banks, which are starting to close due to the pandemic,” Harper said.
Some students have started working full-time to support their families and help relieve their financial hardship. “Before I left for school, I would occasionally work at Chick-Fil-A,” senior Gannon McCorkle said. “Now, I’m working full time to help my family. My parents are facing some financial issues, which adds stress.”
Rauch and Harper said that Exeter has already reached out with financial assistance and internet access resources, along with access to textbooks and school materials. “Additional financial aid was provided to financial aid students based on [the] level of need to support unanticipated expenses associated with distance learning,” Interim Chief Financial Office Marijka Beauchesne said. Finding solutions for individual circumstances remains the Academy’s top concern.
Director of Technology Services Charles Heffner agreed, noting that the Information Technology Department does not have a “one-size fits all solution” to address the technological needs of all students.
According to Heffner, 29 students have reached out for assistance. The Academy’s efforts have been largely supported by the fact that “internet connections are often possible through free Internet service provided by Comcast, Spectrum or Optimum Cable, [among others].” In addition to providing internet access, Heffner noted that the Academy has provided “a stipend as part of the standard financial aid package for students who cannot afford computers on their own.”
“The Administration has been incredibly supportive in their efforts [to support the needs of larger families], allowing us the freedom to help families in the best way possible on a case-by-case basis,” Heffner said. “The IT team takes great pride in helping the Academy to support our students in this way.”
Rauch acknowledged the Academy’s efforts. “I have been mailed some important documents from my room, have access to a wonderful advisor and have flexible teachers who understand my circumstances,” she said. “Of course, the Academy can’t pay for groceries or bills, but in my opinion, they have done a pretty great job doing what they can. I can say with certainty that my academic needs, at least, are being met.”
The Academy’s asynchronous system has also provided necessary support. Following the announcement of a virtual spring term, McCorkle reached out to teachers about his family’s situation. “It’s hard to be on time to class. I emailed my teachers, and they took a step forward and sent my advisor an email. After, the administration came to me and started sending out forms. I think I was probably one of the first kids who asked for that,” McCorckle recalled. “They realized, ‘Wow, he’s probably not the only kid facing something like this.’”
Distance learning not only affects low-income students financially—mental health services have been disrupted as well. During the regular session, the Academy’s Health Center provided easy-access and free counseling, but with the decision to move online, a letter from Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Szu-Hui Lee recommended that “caregivers make appointments with a local mental health professional.”
To ensure a smooth transition, CAPS counselors will be available to inform local therapists. However, the transition has proved difficult. “Now, when I feel my mental health is most at risk, I can no longer access my old providers and really can’t afford to find new ones here at home,” Rauch said.
Though the Academy has recently made strides to accommodate students in various time zones and support its low-income students, Harper believes that further discussion is necessary. To best support students, Harper suggested that the Academy “reach out to low-income students directly and simply ask what that student needs. The Deans have asked ALIE to find as much of that information as possible, but we are not going to pretend to know every low-income student in the school. I’d like to see the school have advisors of low-income students reach out and have a conversation.”
More than ever, Rauch feels that Exeter is a “truly special” place. “Exeter provided me with a community that really cared for me and met my needs,” Rauch said. “The school gave me three wonderful meals a day, a room with a bed, hot water and other basics. I had equal opportunity unhindered by my family’s status. I had a stable living environment without the chaos of three siblings, a dog and divorced parents under the same roof. I never had to worry about cooking or the grocery bill.”
As co-heads of ALIE, Harper and Rauch are doing all they can to support Exonians facing financial challenges, holding regular video calls with self-identified lower income students. “We are working on sending out a school wide email to let all students know that whether they have previously engaged with the affinity group, that we (and our advisors) are here for all low-income Exonians during this stressful time,” they said. “We want to gather information about what low-income Exonians feel that they need, so that we can communicate with administration, students and alumni in an effort to provide more concrete support.”
During this difficult time, Harper hoped for compassion from friends and peers alike. “The largest part friends play in a low-income student’s life—particularly at a wealthy school like Exeter—is sharing compassion, not pity,” he said. “I would urge students to reach out to their low-income friends and check in on them; simply show them you care. Just be sure not to let the fact that they are low-income define any part of your friendship.”