EDUCAUSE Supports Bill to Provide Broadband Access for Unserved and Underserved College Students

EDUCAUSE is pleased to support the Supporting Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act (H.R. 6814/S. 3701), introduced by Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Alma Adams (D-NC), and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV). This critical piece of legislation would direct the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) to award $1 billion in grants for institutions of higher education to meet the needs of students who lack access to adequate broadband service or requisite devices during the national emergency caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has wreaked havoc on the economy and communities nationwide. Colleges and universities are no stranger to the upheaval caused by the pandemic. The closure of campuses required faculty and staff to work expeditiously to transition to remote learning and remote delivery of student services. Ensuring student progress and academic success—which includes minimizing disruptions to student access to learning to the extent possible during a time already fraught with tremendous uncertainty—has been top of mind for institutions. However, the emergency transition to distance learning and remote student services has served to highlight (and exacerbate) a digital divide that predated the coronavirus outbreak. Research shows that nearly 20 percent of college students lack a reliable device and/or service with which to access the internet.¹

In late March, Congress passed the CARES Act, which provided emergency relief funds for colleges and universities to use for a wide range of needs, including "technology costs associated with a transition to distance education;"² however, lawmakers have yet to allocate funding specifically to ensure that students can access online courses and services to continue their studies and maintain their academic progress. EDUCAUSE was therefore pleased to work with congressional sponsors in developing the Supporting Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act and firmly supports its passage.

The bill would create an Emergency Higher Education Connectivity Fund from which the NTIA would award grants to colleges and universities to meet the needs of unserved and underserved students who lack an internet-enabled device and/or a broadband connection. Specifically, the bill appropriates $1 billion for the fund and states that a college or university receiving a grant from it should prioritize the provision of an eligible service and/or equipment to students who receive Pell Grants or any other need-based aid, are eligible for a Lifeline qualifying assistance program, are "low-income" individuals as defined in section 312(g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(g)), are first-generation college students as defined in federal regulation, have been approved to receive federal or state unemployment insurance benefits since March 1, 2020, or lack the connectivity necessary to participate in distance learning or access academic and student support services.

EDUCAUSE sent a letter to congressional leaders on June 5 urging them to incorporate, or advance independently, the Supporting Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act in the next piece of COVID-relief legislation. This is just one of many pieces of legislation Congress should pursue as it aims to support students and institutions during the pandemic. As such, the letter from EDUCAUSE also emphasizes that any legislative effort to expand the E-Rate or Lifeline programs should ensure that unserved and underserved college students are among the populations that can access the wireless connectivity options made available through such expansions. And while EDUCAUSE appreciates that Congress provided emergency funding in the CARES Act for institutions to defray costs, including technology expenses, the letter stresses the importance of ensuring that future relief bills provide additional support to expand institutional networking and technological capacities. Finally, EDUCAUSE urges lawmakers to include federal support for the nation's research and education (R&E) networks that link major research universities, academic medical centers, federal research agencies, and national laboratories via high-quality, high-speed network connections. These sentiments echo correspondence that Internet2 and The Quilt sent to congressional leaders on April 17. Additional support for R&E networks is needed to extend backbone and middle-mile networks in unserved and underserved areas, facilitate pandemic research connectivity, and expand educational wireless systems and services.

Policymakers must act to ensure student and institutional success in this uncertain, extraordinary time. EDUCAUSE is grateful to the sponsors of the Supporting Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act for their leadership and looks forward to continuing to work with lawmakers as we confront the many challenges facing students and campuses.

Notes

1. Amy L. Gonzales, Jessica McCrory Calarco, and Teresa K. Lynch, "Technology Problems and Student Achievement Gaps: A Validation and Extension of the Technology Maintenance Construct," Communication Research, 47, no. 5 (August 2018): 750–770. ↩
2. Jarret Cummings, "Higher Ed IT Funding Request for Federal Emergency Relief Bill," Policy Spotlight (blog), EDUCAUSE Review, April 10, 2020. ↩

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Kathryn Branson is a Senior Associate with Ulman Public Policy.