@fretfulmother What I found by looking at some of the COVID-19 responses from a number of colleges (I did this for a few friends who asked for advice, as well as my own son’s school) is that those responses vary more than I thought they would. The main differences are a few areas: 1) how generous the college is in compensating for the extra expenses that students incur due to an unexpected order to vacate their dorms; 2) how the college handles items left in the dorms after students depart; 3) how the college deal with students on financial aid; and 4) how accommodating the college is to students who request extensions to move out of their dorms.
@RoboticsDad Well-endowed elite colleges are likely to accommodate changes in a family’s financial situation, even in the middle of a school year. I remember one year (it was a long time ago) I needed a car and the college lent me the money at zero interest rate (when rates were above 10%, I recall) until I graduate.