Senators Introduce Emergency Broadband Connections Act with Focus on Postsecondary Students

US Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced the Emergency Broadband Connections Act on June 29. The legislation would seek to ensure that Americans have access to broadband internet during the coronavirus pandemic. EDUCAUSE is pleased to support the legislation, which takes Pell Grant eligible students into account in determining household benefits.

The coronavirus pandemic is showing few signs of retreating, and higher education institutions are grappling with what instruction will look like in the fall. Many colleges and universities have already determined that remote delivery of courses and student services is the right decision for their campuses, students, and faculty. EDUCAUSE understands that ensuring student progress and academic success through this uncertain period is a top priority for postsecondary leaders nationwide and has worked closely with the higher education community to advocate for solutions that provide students with the resources they need to succeed during the pandemic.

Research shows that nearly 20 percent of US college and university students lack a reliable device or service with which to access the internet,¹ and it is imperative that Congress act to bridge this digital divide. While the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act 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," lawmakers have not yet provided funding specifically targeted to ensure that students can access online courses and services. EDUCAUSE previously worked with congressional sponsors on the Supporting Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act, which would create a grant program to support student internet and computer access.² Additionally, EDUCAUSE and twenty-nine other higher education associations submitted a letter to Congress detailing measures lawmakers should consider to support students and institutions during the pandemic. One of those measures is ensuring that any program aiming to provide broadband internet support also includes an eligibility standard specific to underserved and unserved college students.

That is why EDUCAUSE is pleased to support the Emergency Broadband Connections Act, which would create an emergency benefit of $50 per month, or $75 per month for households on tribal lands, for broadband internet service. The bill makes households with at least one member who received a Federal Pell Grant for the 2019–2020 award year or 2020–2021 award year eligible for the benefit. Other eligible households would include those with a member who has been laid off or furloughed due to the pandemic. The bill also provides funding so that eligible households may acquire a device through which to access the internet—another crucial consideration as EDUCAUSE works to ensure all students are able to continue their education without obstruction.

At the time of writing, lawmakers are negotiating the next legislative package targeting pandemic relief. EDUCAUSE is encouraged that some lawmakers have heeded the calls of our members and partner associations and recognized that more assistance is needed to ensure all students can successfully continue their studies at a time when remote instruction is increasingly necessary. EDUCAUSE will keep members apprised as lawmakers continue to flesh out the details of a forthcoming relief package.

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. Kathryn Branson, "EDUCAUSE Supports Bill to Provide Broadband Access for Unserved and Underserved College Students," Policy Spotlight (blog), EDUCAUSE Review, June 12, 2020. ↩

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Kathryn Branson is a Senior Associate with Ulman Public Policy.