Fall reopening uncertain at many colleges and universities in U.S.
CGTN
01:37

Many colleges and universities in the United States don't know if they will allow students to return to campus in the fall.

Due to the uncertainty, many students are choosing to defer next year.

College enrollment is expected to drop 15% in the next academic year.

"There will be more students who defer. For sure. Especially first year students. But there are also going to be some limitations placed by colleges because they need to have a certain number of students on campus to make it financially feasible for them," said Bari Norman, co-founder of Expert Admissions.

Schools with large endowments should be okay, but other schools expect to face economic challenges.

"Most colleges are tuition dependent and when those tuition dollars don't come in, they're not going to make budget, and by a lot," Norman said.

The American Council on Education predicts the drop in enrollment will lead to  a $23 billion revenue loss.

Some colleges will have cut back on spending and freeze on hiring and salaries.

And some schools may not survive.

"It's a foregone conclusion that some colleges aren't going to make it out on the other side of this," Norman said.

Students that continue to enroll might have to face more remote learning, and question if they should pay the same tuition.

"It seems like there's no point in paying for a full college experience when you're getting not even close to that," said Yale University student Anya Van Hoegstraten.

"But we don't know what's going to happen. We'll just have to wait and see what they decide."

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