COVID-19 significantly disrupted the start of the 2020-21 academic year for community college students. More than 40% of households reported that a prospective student cancelled all plans for community college, and another 15% reported either taking fewer classes or switching programs. Community college students cancelled their plans at more than twice the rate of four-year college students. And within the community college sector, disruptions were significantly more common for minoritized and low-income families. In addition to the virus itself, changes in the affordability and instructional patterns of college compounded the challenges faced by students. Perhaps like no other academic year in the last century, 2020-21 began with substantial disorder and confusion.