Seminole state college freshman Xzavier Love is buckling down to get his last bit of math homework done before the semester ends.

What You Need To Know

  • Colleges have seen a decline in enrollment during the pandemic

  • Seminole State College has seen a 10% to 20% decline in enrollment the last few years

  • Seminole State College is using social media and online push to get more students to register

This is his first semester on the path to his dream career.

“I want to be a physical therapist, I’ve wanted to be a physical therapist since as long I can remember actually. I just think that the health world and helping people and rehabilitate people and to work on the body, learn how the body works, I think it’s really important,” he said. 

You won’t catch him slacking on his studies because Xavier is blazing a trail in his family.

“I am the first in my family to go to college, so I feel like I have a responsibility in a way, to make something of this education,” Love said. 

But the pandemic has seemed to discouraged students like him from applying to college. “We’ve seen a steady decline of applicants and students over the last two years,” said Vice President of Student Affairs at Seminole State College Johnny Craig. 

Craig says they’ve seen anywhere from a 10% to 20% decline in applicants because of pandemic uncertainty.

Valencia College also reported seeing a decline in new students over the last two years. 

Not only did Love have to endure online and hybrid learning his senior year, but he lost family members during that time as well.

“At the end I really thought, I don’t know how I’m gonna make it through this, I really don’t,” Love said. 

Craig says the decline is even higher for first generation students like Love. He says financial hardships from the pandemic are pushing more of them into the workforce. “They’re getting jobs to help take care of their families, especially the first generation population of students. They’re helping their families now. So when you have a student who just graduated from high school, they realize my mom or my dad might’ve lost their job, or their overall hours have been increased, I’m gonna step up,” Craig said. 

So Craig says they’re working to leverage things like internships and on campus jobs so that students can earn and learn at the same time.

“And say ‘hey you know what? Don’t forgo your education, let’s balance the two. Versus taking 12 hours, let’s take 6 and let’s get you a job on campus, let’s get you a job in the field,” Craig said. 

They're also doing a big social media and online push to get more students to register. 

With the help of his parents, Love was able to push through and take advantage of the opportunities at Seminole State, making his family proud of their first college student.

“They tell me all the time that they’re so proud of me, ‘I’m so proud of you Xzavier, I’m so proud of you,’ and it really helps to have that reassurance from your parents, because I know a lot of people in my life don’t have that,” he said.