SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION OF UNIVALLE STUDENTS - BOLIVIA IN THE COVID PANDEMIC - 19

Abstract

The aim of this research was to describe the socio-economic situation as perceived by the students of the Universidad Privada del Valle (Univalle) in Bolivia during the Covid-19 pandemic. For this purpose, a sample of n=692 participants from the La Paz, Cochabamba, Trinidad and Santa Cruz campuses was used. For data collection, an online form was launched in December 2021 to which they responded voluntarily. The COVID 19 pandemic in Bolivia started in March 2020 and is still ongoing to date. RESULTS: The findings indicated that the COVID -19 Pandemic marked a negative impact on the family economy of students (72.1%), where 46% of those who suffered this negative impact had to work during the pandemic to help their families economically, increasing the Economically Active Population (EAP) in Bolivia. The reasons for which students reported this economic affectation were a decrease in work (28.3%), unemployment of parents or breadwinners (10.8%), closure of family or non-family businesses (11.8%), delay or lack of payment to parents or breadwinners (15.4%).  Some 2.5% of the students reported the death of their parents. Likewise, it was observed that there was a restructuring of families where they increased (27%), probably due to family mobility where the Pandemic brought them together again. Another important result is that 90% of the students are economically dependent on their parents.