Hundreds of small colleges across the United States rely on students paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in exchange for an in-person college experience.

And oftentimes, it’s the student body on campus that keeps small college towns and their economies vibrant. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, many institutions have switched to online education and have seen a drop in the numbers of enrollment.

The lack of students is now taking a financial toll on some of these smaller towns.