2020 SONS Transfers - Part 2: Remote Learning, Affordability, & Background

Remote Learning and COVID-19
Student Technology Resources
Concern about Cost & Food Security
Family and Culture
Living Conditions
Challenge and Well Being

Remote Learning and COVID-19

How concerned are you about the following possible effects of COVID-19 on your academic experience this semester?

	Not concerned	Somewhat concerned	Concerned	Very concerned	Not applicable
Learning effectively in the remote instruction environmnet	92	192	441	991	20
	5%	11%	26%	58%	-
Doing well on tests and assignments in online courses	96	193	405	1,023	19
	6%	11%	24%	60%	-
Missing classes	488	322	386	501	34
	29%	19%	23%	30%	-
Ability to conduct research	156	266	436	774	98
	10%	16%	27%	47%	-
Getting the courses I need for my major	343	343	414	593	30
	20%	20%	25%	35%	-
Getting the disability-related accommodations I need	380	130	208	308	708
	37%	13%	20%	30%	-
Opportunities to interact with faculty outside of class	101	231	440	926	39
	6%	14%	26%	55%	-
Opportunities to interact with my fellow students	74	155	425	1,042	40
	4%	9%	25%	61%	-

How concerned are you about the effects of COVID-19 on your graduating on time?

Response	Number	Percent
Not concerned	369	21%
Somewhat concerned	593	34%
Concerned	372	21%
Very concerned	413	24%

Please select your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements.

	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
UC Berkeley is committed to student health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic	45	127	766	799
	3%	7%	44%	46%
I feel confident in the health and preventative measures that UC Berkeley has taken in response to COVID-19	44	143	706	845
	3%	8%	41%	49%
I know how to minimize my risk of contracting COVID-19	11	32	435	1,260
	1%	2%	25%	73%

Please select your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements.

	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
I have had opportunities to get to know my fellow students during class	292	455	785	199
	17%	26%	45%	12%
I have had opportunities to get to know my fellow students outside of class	625	466	462	175
	36%	27%	27%	10%
I have had opportunities to develop study groups with my fellow students	324	423	734	248
	19%	25%	43%	14%
I have had opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities at UC Berkeley	550	439	542	198
	32%	25%	31%	11%

Student Technology Resources

Which of the following technological tools will you predominantly use to access your classes?

Response	Number	Percent
A laptop computer (PC, MacBook, Linux, Chromebook, etc.)	1,493	86%
A tablet or pad	47	3%
A smart phone	23	1%
A desktop computer	176	10%

Do you have to share the use of this technological tool with others?

Response	Number	Percent
No, I am the exclusive user of this device	1,567	90%
Yes, I have to share this device with at least one other person	169	10%

Do you have access to reliable internet at your place of residence?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	1,452	84%
No	283	16%

Are you required by any of your fall classes to use a device or peripheral other than a laptop? (e.g. smartphone, iClicker, drawing tablet, external mic or camera, etc.)?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,498	87%
Yes (please specify)	234	12%

Are you aware of software that is licensed by the campus and offered free to Cal students (software.berkeley.edu)?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes, I am aware but have not yet downloaded any	655	38%
Yes, and I have downloaded software	529	31%
No	550	32%

Are you aware of the free in-person and remote tech support that is offered to Cal students (studenttech.berkeley.edu)?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes, I am aware but have not used or needed it	846	49%
Yes, and I have used it	141	8%
No	748	43%

Concern about Cost & Food Security

How concerned are you about paying for your undergraduate education THIS YEAR? (This year is defined as Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.)

Response	Number	Percent
Not concerned	569	33%
Somewhat concerned	563	33%
Concerned	301	17%
Very concerned	301	17%

How concerned are you about paying for your undergraduate education NEXT YEAR? (Next year is defined as Fall 2021 and Spring 2022.)

Response	Number	Percent
Not concerned	348	20%
Somewhat concerned	544	31%
Concerned	384	22%
Very concerned	458	26%

Which of the following have you done in the past year or do you plan to do this year to meet anticipated college expenses? (Choose all that apply)

	Selected
Applied for financial aid (including work-study)	975
	59%
Asked financial aid office to reevaluate my application	241
	15%
Plan to buy fewer books than required, buy cheaper used books, borrow/read books on reserve, rent books	871
	53%
Will take more courses per term to complete on-time or early	429
	26%
Will take fewer courses so I can work for pay	182
	11%
Will accept AP or similar credit instead of taking the course	222
	14%
Will take or have taken a community college course because community college courses are cheaper	654
	40%
Worked for pay to save for college	682
	41%
Plan to work for pay at least my first year	472
	29%
Will live at home to reduce expenses	721
	44%
Applied for outside scholarships/grants	707
	43%
Don't expect cost to be a significant problem	337
	20%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	43
	3%

Have you heard about the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, which ensures that scholarships and grants will cover fees for California resident students from families making less than $80,000 a year, with financial need?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	720	42%
No	994	58%

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement: Given the grants and scholarships, if any, that you receive, the total cost of attending UC Berkeley is manageable.

Response	Number	Percent
Strongly disagree	107	6%
Disagree	134	8%
Somewhat disagree	228	13%
Somewhat agree	622	36%
Agree	425	25%
Strongly agree	196	11%

If you were offered subsidized loans through the Financial Aid office, did you accept them?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes, I accepted subsidized loans that I was offered	323	30%
No, I did not accept subsidized loans that I was offered	737	70%
I do not know if I have accepted a subsidized loan	182	-
Not applicable; I was not offered subsidized loans	469	-

Please share with us why you did not accept the subsidized loans.

[Contact OPA for more information]

If you worked for pay this past summer, how many hours per week did you usually work?

Response	Number	Percent
I planned to, but was not able to work this summer due to COVID-19	608	36%
I did not work any hours this summer and this was not due to COVID-19	376	22%
1-5 hours	37	2%
6-10 hours	90	5%
11-15 hours	93	5%
16-25 hours	213	13%
26-35 hours	110	6%
More than 35	177	10%

About how many hours per week are you expecting to work (paid employment) this semester?

Response	Number	Percent
I planned to, but have not been able to find a position due to COVID-19	446	26%
I do not plan to work this semester	636	37%
1-5 hours	83	5%
6-10 hours	145	9%
11-15 hours	146	9%
16-25 hours	156	9%
26-35 hours	51	3%
More than 35	41	2%

Have you done any of the following to address additional financial responsibilities due to COVID-19? (Choose all that apply)

	Selected
I did not have any additional financial responsibilities	474
	30%
Applied for financial aid	886
	56%
Asked financial aid office to reevaluate my application	162
	10%
Took fewer courses so I can work for pay	124
	8%
Started a new job	210
	13%
Increased the number of hours I work for pay	196
	12%
Applied for outside scholarships/grants	475
	30%
Took out loans	246
	15%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	50
	3%

Are you participating in work study this semester?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,347	78%
Yes	105	6%
Unsure	269	16%

Which of the following best describes the format of your work study appointment?

Response	Number	Percent
Remote only	51	49%
Both remote and in-person	12	12%
In-person only	13	13%
Unsure/do not currently have a work study job	28	27%

Which of the following best describes your reason for not participating in work study this semester?

Response	Number	Percent
I was not eligible for a work study appointment (e.g. did not receive financial aid, it was not part of my financial aid package, etc.)	423	32%
I needed a remote work study appointment but none were available	84	6%
I was not interested in the available work study opportunities	220	17%
I was worried about balancing my coursework and being employed	444	34%
Other (please specify)	144	11%

How did you satisfy your work study contribution? (Choose all that apply)

	Selected
Student loans	145
	20%
Outside scholarships	102
	14%
Campus scholarship/grant	263
	35%
I contributed additional money	235
	32%
My family contributed additional money	264
	36%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	74
	10%

Since you started at UC Berkeley, have you encountered a situation where lack of financial resources kept you from having basic student necessities (housing, food, books, healthcare, etc.)?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	269	16%
No	1,440	84%

Please select from the following list all basics you have foregone as a result of finances. (Choose all that apply)

	Selected
Housing	113
	42%
Food	160
	60%
Books	137
	51%
Healthcare	97
	36%
Other	20
	7%

For the following statements, please indicate whether the statement was often true, sometimes true, or never true for you in the 12 months before starting at UC Berkeley.

	Often true	Sometimes true	Never true
The food that I bought just didn't last, and I didn’t have money to get more.	78	373	1,200
	5%	23%	73%
I couldn't afford to eat balanced meals.	146	373	1,126
	9%	23%	68%

In the 12 months before starting at UC Berkeley, did you ever cut the size of your meals or skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,277	76%
Yes, almost every month	148	9%
Yes, some months, but not every month	173	10%
Yes, only 1 or 2 months	93	6%

In the 12 months before starting at UC Berkeley, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn't enough money for food?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,336	79%
Yes	354	21%

In the 12 months before starting at UC Berkeley, were you ever hungry but didn't eat because there wasn't enough money for food?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,413	84%
Yes	277	16%

In the 12 months before starting at UC Berkeley have you ever... (Choose all that apply)

	Selected
Experienced an increase in rent or mortgage that made it difficult to pay	274
	17%
Not paid or underpaid your rent or mortgage	110
	7%
Not paid the full amount of utility bills (gas, oil, or electricity)	130
	8%
Moved two or more times	175
	11%
Moved in with others, even for a little while, because of financial problems	196
	12%
Lived with others beyond the expected capacity of the house or apartment	186
	12%
I have not experienced any of these situations	998
	63%

Is there anything else that you would like to tell us about the impact of the cost to attend on your educational experience at UC Berkeley?

[Contact OPA for more information]

Family and Culture

When did you come to the United States to live?

Response	Number	Percent
I was born in the U.S.	993	60%
2000 or earlier	74	5%
2001	15	1%
2002	10	1%
2003	14	1%
2004	16	1%
2005	17	1%
2006	9	1%
2007	11	1%
2008	9	1%
2009	12	1%
2010	13	1%
2011	10	1%
2012	18	1%
2013	17	1%
2014	35	2%
2015	54	3%
2016	72	4%
2017	106	6%
2018	139	8%
2019 or later	13	1%

When did you learn to speak English?

Response	Number	Percent
English is my native language	872	52%
Before I was 6 years old	327	19%
When I was 6-10 years old	216	13%
When I was 11-15 years old	158	9%
After turning 16 years old	114	7%

To the best of your knowledge, where were your parents born?

	In the U.S.	Outside the U.S.	Don't know
Parent/Guardian 1	575	1,092	4
	34%	66%	-
Parent/Guardian 2	492	1,129	12
	30%	70%	-

To the best of your knowledge, how many of your grandparents were born outside of the United States?

Response	Number	Percent
Zero	319	19%
One	72	4%
Two	222	13%
Three	68	4%
Four	999	59%

Which of the following best describes your social class when you were growing up?

Response	Number	Percent
Wealthy	27	2%
Upper-middle or professional-middle	278	17%
Middle-class	599	36%
Working-class	416	25%
Low-income or poor	360	21%

Are you a financially independent student?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	552	33%
No	1,130	67%

To the best of your knowledge, which category includes the total annual combined income of your parent(s) before taxes in 2019?

Response	Number	Percent
Less than $20,000	126	11%
$20,000 to $49,999	220	20%
$50,000 to $79,999	205	19%
$80,000 to $124,999	252	23%
$125,000 to $149,999	95	9%
$150,000 or more	208	19%

To the best of your knowledge, which category includes your household's total annual combined income before taxes in 2019?

Response	Number	Percent
Less than $20,000	244	45%
$20,000 to $49,999	172	31%
$50,000 to $79,999	60	11%
$80,000 to $124,999	34	6%
$125,000 to $149,999	15	3%
$150,000 or more	22	4%

What is your religious/spiritual preference?

Response	Number	Percent
Spiritual but not associated with a major religion	298	18%
No particular religion and not particularly spiritual	475	29%
Atheist	190	12%
Baptist	15	1%
Buddhist	81	5%
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)	129	8%
Eastern Orthodox	9	1%
Episcopalian	1	0%
Hindu	13	1%
Jewish/Orthodox	4	0%
Jewish/Reform	16	1%
Jewish/Other	20	1%
Lutheran	6	0%
Methodist	4	0%
Mormon	1	0%
Muslim/Shia	14	1%
Muslim/Sunni	63	4%
Muslim/Other	13	1%
Non-denominational Evangelical	20	1%
Other Christian	45	3%
Presbyterian	12	1%
Quaker	1	0%
Roman Catholic	139	8%
Russian Orthodox	3	0%
Seventh Day Adventist	1	0%
Sikh	6	0%
Taoist	7	0%
Unitarian/Universalist	3	0%
Religious/Spiritual Preference not listed	66	4%

Do you have any conditions or disabilities that significantly affect your experience as a student at UC Berkeley, including how you learn or perform academically, interact with others, or access the campus?

	No	Yes
Physical disability or condition (e.g., mobility limitation, sensory condition)	1,579	82
	95%	5%
Learning disability or condition (e.g., dyslexia, speech disorder)	1,549	102
	94%	6%
Neurodevelopmental/cognitive disability or condition (e.g., autism, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, brain injury)	1,502	144
	91%	9%
Emotional or mental health concern or condition (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder)	1,043	615
	63%	37%
Other disability or condition	972	28
	97%	3%

Do you currently receive accommodations from campus due to your disability or condition?

Response	Number	Percent
No	449	66%
Yes	140	21%
I am not aware of such services	91	13%

What is your current gender identity?

Response	Number	Percent
Man	696	42%
Woman	892	54%
Trans Man	4	0%
Trans Woman	7	0%
Genderqueer/Gender Non-Conforming	35	2%
Agender	9	1%
Not listed above, please specify [Contact OPA for more information]	8	0%
Prefer not to answer	30	-

What is your current sexual orientation?

Response	Number	Percent
Heterosexual or straight	1,238	77%
Gay	57	4%
Lesbian	28	2%
Bisexual	161	10%
Queer	42	3%
Questioning	41	3%
Asexual	12	1%
Not listed above, please specify [Contact OPA for more information]	19	1%
Prefer not to answer	80	-

How would you characterize your political orientation?

Response	Number	Percent
Very liberal	313	19%
Liberal	520	32%
Slightly liberal	217	13%
Moderate or middle of the road	356	22%
Slightly conservative	64	4%
Conservative	42	3%
Very conservative	11	1%
Other, please elaborate [Contact OPA for more information]	115	7%

Living Conditions

Which of the following most accurately describes where you are living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
In the Bay Area	985	58%
In California, but not in the Bay Area	548	33%
In the United States, but not in California (including U.S. Territories)	23	1%
Outside of the United States	129	8%

Where are you living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
Bowles Hall	3	0%
Unit 1	2	0%
Unit 2 (excluding Wada Apartments)	5	0%
Unit 3 (including Beverly Cleary Hall)	6	0%
Blackwell Hall	4	0%
Martinez Commons	33	2%
Wada Apartments	8	1%
University Village Albany (family housing)	31	2%
Living with family	755	45%
Co-op housing	39	2%
Living off-campus in a house or apartment	657	39%
Other [Contact OPA for more information]	96	6%
I have not (yet) found housing	12	1%

How far from campus are you living this term? Note: This item was only seen by students who indicated they lived in the Bay Area.

Response	Number	Percent
On campus or less than 1 mile	215	22%
1 mile to 2 miles	150	15%
3 miles to 10 miles	138	14%
11 miles to 20 miles	172	18%
21 miles or more	301	31%

With whom are you living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
No one. I live alone	149	9%
I share an apartment or dorm room with at least one other UC Berkeley student	288	17%
I share an apartment with peers who are not UC Berkeley students	158	9%
I live with my spouse or domestic partner (with or without others)	165	10%
I live with at least one parent	782	47%
Other [Contact OPA for more information]	134	8%

What is the composition of your residence hall or household while attending UC Berkeley this term?

	0 (Zero)	1	2	3	4	5 or more
College students or other adults (count yourself as 1)	-	350	352	376	266	234
	-	22%	22%	24%	17%	15%
Children or teenagers under the age of 18 (do NOT count yourself as 1)	1,122	244	98	29	10	13
	74%	16%	6%	2%	1%	1%

Since the beginning of this semester, have you ever been homeless? (Homeless means not having stable or reliable housing, e.g., living on the street, in vehicles, motels, camp grounds, single-occupancy facilities, or couch surfing in other people's homes for temporary sleeping arrangements)

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	64	4%
No	1,581	96%

Do you have any biological or adopted children who live with you now?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,609	96%
Yes	66	4%

IF YES: How many (biological or adopted children live with you now)?

Response	Number	Percent
1	29	46%
2	22	35%
3	8	13%
4	2	3%
5 or more	2	3%

Do you have any biological or adopted children who live elsewhere?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,651	99%
Yes	23	1%

IF YES: How many (biological or adopted children live elsewhere)?

Response	Number	Percent
1	11	50%
2	4	18%
3	2	9%
4	2	9%
5 or more	3	14%

How many of your children are under the age of 18?

Response	Number	Percent
1	36	50%
2	24	33%
3	9	13%
5 or more	3	4%

Do you have primary responsibility for caring for someone else such as a parent, grandparent or sibling?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,435	87%
Yes	222	13%

Due to COVID-19, do you now have additional family care responsibilities (e.g. caring for children, elders, etc.)?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1,246	75%
Yes	412	25%

Challenge & Well-Being

During your first year at UC Berkeley, how often do you expect each of the following to be obstacles to your school work or academic success?

	Not at all	Rarely	Occasionally	Frequently	All the time
Job responsibilities (e.g., paid employment)	524	279	431	266	137
	32%	17%	26%	16%	8%
Family responsibilities	301	308	545	302	180
	18%	19%	33%	18%	11%
Other responsibilities (e.g., athletics, clubs, internship)	442	342	517	251	79
	27%	21%	32%	15%	5%
Weak English skills	1,123	179	173	109	50
	69%	11%	11%	7%	3%
Inadequate study skills (e.g., knowing how to start, knowing how to get help, organizing material)	403	383	509	237	102
	25%	23%	31%	15%	6%
Poor study environment (e.g., noisy roommate, poor Internet access, inadequate computer or software)	354	310	475	315	179
	22%	19%	29%	19%	11%
Feeling depressed, stressed, or upset	176	214	492	430	323
	11%	13%	30%	26%	20%
Physical illness or condition	825	442	228	84	50
	51%	27%	14%	5%	3%
Military deployment	1,447	76	66	28	10
	89%	5%	4%	2%	1%
Inability to concentrate on my work	249	237	502	402	243
	15%	15%	31%	25%	15%
Reluctance to ask for academic help when I need it	332	352	521	286	141
	20%	22%	32%	18%	9%
Difficulties adjusting to the remote learning environment	207	215	439	417	354
	13%	13%	27%	26%	22%
Not having access to learning support services I need (i.e., tutoring, advising)	424	383	453	231	143
	26%	23%	28%	14%	9%
Not having access to library resources and services	422	334	407	275	198
	26%	20%	25%	17%	12%

In the previous question you indicated that you expect a poor study environment to be an obstacle to your success. Please select which of the following issues you are concerned about in regards to your study environment (check all that apply).

	No	Yes
Not having reliable access to the internet	844	405
	68%	32%
Not having adequate computer or software	1,031	216
	83%	17%
Not having access to an appropriate study space	577	680
	46%	54%
Being disrupted as I study by roommates or family members	362	906
	29%	72%
Other (please specify)	414	72
	85%	15%

Whom can you really count on to help you feel better when you are feeling upset? (Choose all that apply)

	Selected
Friends at UC Berkeley	596
	36%
Home or high school friends	943
	57%
Boyfriend or girlfriend, partner, spouse or significant other	585
	36%
Teachers, coaches	158
	10%
Parents, guardians	870
	53%
Siblings	651
	40%
Other family	272
	17%
Clergy	26
	2%
Counselors, therapists	246
	15%
UCB student services support staff (counselor, advisor, etc.)	149
	9%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	39
	2%
No one (else) / myself only	144
	9%

Overall, how satisfied are you with the support that you have?

Response	Number	Percent
Very dissatisfied	96	6%
Fairly dissatisfied	142	9%
A little dissatisfied	180	11%
A little satisfied	295	18%
Fairly satisfied	643	39%
Very satisfied	302	18%

Do you know that the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at the Tang Center offers short term counseling, that there is no charge to get started, and that all registered UC Berkeley students can access services regardless of whether they have UC Berkeley SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan)?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	1,291	78%
No	356	22%

back to top     Part 3: Random Module