The economic calamity caused by the novel coronavirus is creating a surge in young adults with uncertain futures. Many have lost jobs or job offers, and others may leave higher education and their schooling because they can no longer afford it. Our state’s vast and diverse system of higher education must rise to this moment. While the pandemic and related economic fallout have created unique challenges for our colleges and universities, these institutions offer a bridge to a better future for individual Texans and for our state’s economic well-being. They educate future generations of Texans, provide critical public health resources and ...