Granola- you may not know how to access the alumni network but your son sure does. That’s what this generation does- Instagram, a What’sApp group, Linkedin, your son will know how to get the word out to recent alums and their friends that a student needs a place near campus for X number of weeks/months. Give him a budget- X dollars a month which includes food, housing, transportation, etc. and he can figure out the best way to finish off the semester. Even a retired professor who lives near campus? A staff person- librarian with an empty bedroom, food service worker who is living in a three person share where one person just moved out? Kids know how to network when they need to…and the employees of this college are just as shell shocked as your son is.
I’ve got friends in college towns who are “hosting” stranded students now- strangers, friends of friends of friends, distant relatives. Everyone understands that when a dorm closes, not every student can just jump on a plane and get home. Some students live in countries where the borders are closed. Some students don’t HAVE a home. Some students can’t afford a plane ticket. I’m touched by how much effort people are putting into helping out students right now. People get it- money is tight, this situation is scary and abnormal, but nobody wants to see a kid homeless if they’ve got an empty bedroom and food in the pantry.
Make your son own this and you’ll be surprised how quickly he can solve the problem…