There is a lot of uncertainty right now, and institutions of higher education are doing their best to counteract that as much as possible for their students, and their parents.

Many colleges and universities have just released, or are just about to release, their plans for the upcoming year with an emphasis on the fall 2020 semester. The variety of approaches to these plans as well as the challenges that college and university communities must face are as diverse as the institutions themselves.

What they all seem to have in common is the determination to continue to educate and support safely and fully our deserving students to the best of everyone's ability.

College students will certainly have to fight the good fight to stay focused on the prize. As well, our rising seniors in high school are also going into a stressful year of searching for, applying to, and selecting a college to attend without the ease of normal travel and human interaction, or the physical presence of the experience enjoyed by all of their peers who came before them.

All college going students deserve our respect right now, particularly those who have financial circumstances that will make this journey even more difficult - the kinds of students whom we serve in Kids' Chance.

Amid the backdrop of COVID-19, students are truly in need at this time, financially and otherwise. The work of Kids' Chance volunteers, at all levels, in all locations, is perhaps never more crucial for our scholars' financial stability and, frankly, their emotional stability as well. The hope that we deliver through offering Kids' Chance Scholarships may be felt more than ever before by our scholar recipients.

The courage of young people to navigate this new world, let alone while attending college and particularly for those who are just about to begin college for the first time, is inspiring to say the least.

Our Kids' Chance scholars are on board for it because they are smart enough and tough enough to know they have little other choice but to be. They are amazing young people and an easy investment, and we need to meet them where they need us.

This is a time for all of humanity to be heroes for one another, and the work we do in volunteering for Kids' Chance is a substantial contribution toward that heroism.

‍This piece was written by Varo L. Duffins. He is the Director of Financial Aid at Swarthmore and a long-time member of the Kids' Chance of PA board.