Call it the YEAR of Plan B's
It’s a genuine mess out there. Many families are just getting the details for “school” this fall. If you have children in K-12, you have just found out ”the plans”. So far, I haven’t seen one yet that considers the daycare/after school care morass these rotating student programs create for family management.
Fairfax VA schools just offered parents only two choices- 4 days virtual instruction OR 2 days in a classroom each week. Huh? 80% of most families have two breadwinners; how is that going to work? No matter how you parse it, you will need a full day camp for some part of the week. Not everyone’s position can be adapted to “work from home”. Some parents are reviewing homeschooling, private school & charter schools that are opening in person. Others are applying for certification to open their own 25 student school, hire a teacher, & revert to the one-room schoolhouse model of Little House on the Prairie.
For the College & University crowd, it is ALL over the map. So far, in my home state, our public university system is full steam ahead, with earlier arrivals on our 16 campus system, no fall break, and semester conclusion by Thanksgiving or earlier. Last week I spoke with neighborhood college-age students, their on-campus classes are a rotating blend of online and in person. In other places, it is full price and all online. This fall is officially a marathon. I was a good student back in the day, and I needed every fall break & reading day I could find. This semester is 16 weeks of college straight through and a six-week winter break to recover. Fun.
It is not my place to tell you what to do in your unique situation. You are fast approaching decision deadlines. Here are some thought categories to get you started figuring out what is best for your family and student (s).
College Student Health Safety- be very real about your student’s health status before they enter back into a setting with a variety of other students. Will they be fully faithful in mask-wearing, distancing, and handwashing? Wearing a mask all day is not easy, even if you are highly motivated. I know. I hate it just as much as you do! But I do it out of respect and because I believe it will make a difference.
What rung is your student on the Higher Education ladder? If they have not started the degree climb, this might be a good time for a gap year. If they are in their first or second year, explore College Level Exam Placement (CLEP) courses your institution will accept. Your student can stay home, earn CLEP credits, work part-time, and still make some progress towards their college degree. Chapter 13, in my book, ENOUGH! The College Cost Crisis walks you through that process. It is a big money saver, too!
Juniors or Seniors in College- This is a hard one. They want to go back, and you want them to go, too, so they can get to graduation on time. Review this checklist- what is their living situation like? How personally responsible will they be? Can they manage a 16-week straight out academic grind? Take their motivation measure. If they have proven their commitment with good grades and direction, they will likely be able to handle this strange semester. If not, look at your plan B.
What happens IF you get a medical call? Whether they may have been exposed or worse, are you prepared to get them off campus and back home, in quarantine, and under your care? What does that look like, and have you considered the impacts on your immediate family?
Don’t expect or plan for ANY refunds, tuition or room and board. If your kid is paying to stay anywhere, you/they signed a housing contract. There is likely no refund granted because of a medical withdrawal. That applies to tuition, too. The few insurance plans out there for protecting college costs per semester are NOT clear if a withdrawal for being exposed to COVID would be covered. If you are considering tuition/room & board insurance, don’t take the word of the sales representative. They mean well, but they didn’t write the policy. Get confirmation in writing from the carrier the policy covers the range of COVID-19 scenarios.
Be alert to the elimination of “equivalency” sports at your student’s school. If your student has a sports scholarship in any sport, hold your breath. If that sport is eliminated, expect that sports scholarship to be gone. While most schools will give you a one year notice that a sport is going to be canceled, you need to be prepared anyway. It could result in a bigger bill in the future.
I genuinely hope this fall will go well, that faculty and students remain healthy, and nothing bad happens. I do. I simply urge you to safely explore all your plan B’s, in case you need one or the other. Having some plan B outlined or written down reduces my anxiety. And, I know we can all agree that anything we can do to reduce stress is worth our time.
Next week, a thought treat —- something positive you and your student can use to make life go better
Until next time,
All my best,
Bonnie Burkett
