College-age students are often a forgotten group in the era of COVID-19, especially ones that are in high-risk categories.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Senior Mar Lee said students that are financially independent are struggling during the pandemic.
"I live in a house with five other people, and that is the only way that I can afford rent, but I am high-risk," Lee said. “And so I’ve been social distancing and self-isolating. But I can’t even effectively do that because I have five other roommates."
Lee said they are especially concerned when classes resume next month, making it even harder to stay safe.
"UNL is going back to classes in the fall. And even though I have all my classes online, with my roommates going on campus and then coming home, that’s still putting me at risk even if I don’t leave my house," Lee said.
Lee said some students think the University should do more to protect them.
UNL is working on a detailed back to school plan that includes several layers of social distancing protocols and ways to frequently check symptoms and monitor cases on campus.