“Summer melt” is the higher-education phenomenon where students who are seemingly intent on enrolling in college fail to do so once fall arrives. This happens more often than you might think, for a variety of reasons.
Causes of Summer Melt
Even students who’ve aspired to attend college their entire lives can succumb to summer melt. One of the main reasons is the sheer number of steps necessary to matriculate, many of which may be challenging for students who no longer have access to or know about the resources available to them, such as their former high school guidance counselor or support at their college of choice.
These students may further be hindered if their families lack experience with the college-going processes, so tasks such as applying for financial aid or even just making sense of a tuition bill might seem daunting. Unfamiliarity with the process means that some students might not be aware that they must register for and attend orientation, take placement tests, and complete health requirements in a timely manner. Additionally, students who have limited internet access might be further hampered in sending and receiving communications, causing some to miss timely deadlines.
Of course, financial reasons are often the biggest contributing factors to summer melt. Aside from the fact the overall cost of tuition may be prohibitive, there are other expenses that the student may not have considered, such as health insurance and textbooks.
Prevalence of Summer Melt
According to the Summer Melt Handbook, published by Harvard’s Strategic Data Project, estimated rates of summer melt range from 10-40% of college-intending students, with higher rates among students from low- and moderate-income families and those with lower academic achievement. Moreover, these rates are considerably higher among students who intend to enroll at a community college compared to those intending to enroll at four-year institutions. Summer melt is also very prevalent at schools with greater proportions of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
The annual College and Career Readiness Indicators Report (CCRI) published by Hawaiʻi P–20 Partnerships for Education reports that 50% of the high school class of 2020 enrolled in college immediately after graduation, as compared to 55% the previous year. Historically, this was the steepest decline in enrollment over one year, even though Hawaii’s 2020 public high school class achieved the highest on-time graduation rate ever recorded, with 86% of students graduating on time.
How Hawai’i Hopes to Freeze the Melt
As a result of the pandemic, Hawaiʻi P–20 Partnerships for Education, University of Hawai’i Community Colleges, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, and community partners devised Next Steps to Your Future, which supports the transition from high school to higher education. The program offers graduating high school students the opportunity to take free career-exploration courses over the summer at UH Community Colleges, where they are paired with academic counselors and advisors for one-on-one support.
| 2020 Next Steps Student Demographics | |
| Demographic | Percent |
| Native Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian | 31% |
| Asian | 23% |
| Filipino | 18% |
| Mixed race (2 or more) | 17% |
| White | 6% |
| Pacific Islander | 3% |
| Other | 2% |
In 2020, 121 total classes were offered across seven campuses. Of the 2,154 student participants (representing 40 high schools and six charter schools), 1,437 took a career-exploration course while 617 students took a content-focused course, earning a combined 4,185 UH credits earned. All participants were also eligible for $2 million in scholarships, funded by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and First Hawaiian Bank.
But perhaps the most astounding number was that 77% of the program’s participants went on to enroll in a UH campus for fall 2020. That alone is worth commending.
The Pandemic’s Impact on Summer Melt
Because the University of Hawaii system experienced such a drastic summer melt last year, higher education is bracing for another drop in 2021. The combination of the pandemic derailing the traditional face-to-face college outreach to high schools and the economic impact on families’ ability to financially support their child’s college goals may cause another melt of unprecedented scope.
In addition to implementing a program designed specifically to counteract summer melt, it is essential that higher-education institutions include career interest surveys and study skills to strengthen students’ resilience for their first-year college experience. Relationship-building and developing a sense of belonging to college campuses over the summer is key to ensuring our 2021 high school graduates show up in the fall — rather than melt away like a late-summer shaved ice.