COVID-19: SAT, ACT Prepare To Go Digital
My plan for how to mitigate the inequities that threaten the 2021 college admissions cycle.
On Wednesday, College Board confirmed that the June SAT is cancelled, and both the SAT and ACT announced that they are preparing digital tests in case social distancing measures extend into the fall. David Coleman, CEO of College Board, called the possibility of at-home testing “unlikely.”
I’m not nearly as confident as David. With Harvard researchers warning that some social distancing might be required into 2022, and Facebook cancelling all events of 50 or more people through June 2021, at home testing in fall 2020 seems like a very real possibility.
Understandably, many people are worried that an at home test will be unfair to lower income students. They are less likely to have a compatible device, a quiet testing area, and a high speed internet connection. Plus, they’re more likely to run into issues affording the registration fee right now.
Here are my ideas for how College Board and ACT can help address these issues. Please share this post far and wide. Maybe we can get on the tests’ radar and help change outcomes for students!
Temporarily Expand Fee Waiver Thresholds To Include Any Family Who Receives The Full Stimulus Check Amount
Thousands of people are lining up for food banks all across the country. Many of them never thought they would need a food bank. No family should have to choose between registering their child for the SAT and eating their next meal.
That’s why we can’t use the existing criteria to determine eligibility. The SAT lists the following options for families to qualify for a fee waiver:
- You’re enrolled in or eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- Your annual family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
- You’re enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (e.g., Federal TRIO programs such as Upward Bound).
- Your family receives public assistance.
- You live in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home, or are homeless.
- You are a ward of the state or an orphan.
College Board and the ACT need to step up and take a short-term financial hit to provide these tests for free to more people. And going off 2019 taxes or current enrollment in federal programs won’t cut it. That’s why both tests should just decide: if you can provide proof that your family received the full stimulus check available to you, then you don’t have to pay.
College Board and ACT buy up devices from companies who have been forced to lay off employees
Unfortunately, many companies have had to let employees go in the last few weeks. While layoffs are never great PR for any company, we’ve seen more and more companies try to navigate layoffs as smoothly and humanely as possible.
To make the best of the situation, College Board and the ACT can partner with some of these companies to buy up their laid off employees’ laptops. The tests get discounted devices to help low income students, and the companies get to support a noble cause as well as a small cash infusion. Both sides get positive press. It’s a win-win.
The tests partner with hotels to let students take the tests in unused rooms with high speed internet
According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, 8 out of 10 hotel rooms are sitting vacant right now. While the situation might slowly improve over time, if we’re still in a place where students have to take the tests online this fall, it seems likely that over 50% of rooms will still be vacant.
This provides another perfect opportunity: rent out blocks of rooms to the test makers at a heavily discounted rate. The tests then partner with low income students to find them a room to take the test. Students get a quiet, comfortable room with reliable high speed internet. Hotels get a small cash boost and great press. Another win-win.
