Homework Gap
Federal Program to Reimburse Schools for Devices, Hotspots, Home Broadband
The Federal Communications Commission has finalized rules
for a $7.17 billion program that will reimburse schools for 100%
of the “reasonable” cost of equipment and services to give
students the access to technology they need for remote and hybrid
learning.
According to the FCC, some 17 million students lack adequate
broadband or devices for today’s learning. The Emergency Connectivity Fund Program will allow
schools (and libraries) “to purchase laptop and tablet computers,
Wi-Fi hotspots, and broadband connectivity for students, school
staff, and library patrons in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In order to be eligible, such equipment must be used primarily for
educational purposes, according to the text
of the rule. Further, eligible equipment is not limited only to
hardware and services used in school and at home. “Service
locations may include, but are not limited to, homes, community
centers, churches, school buses, bookmobiles, and any other
off-campus locations where students, school staff, and library
patrons are engaged in remote learning activities,” according to
the rule.
The initial application window will fund purchases to be made between
July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
Interestingly, while the fund is primarily meant to fund future
purchases, it may also be used to reimburse schools for equipment and
services purchased earlier in the pandemic (between March 1, 2020 and
June 30, 2021). If funds remain available, a new application window
will be opened to allow schools to apply for such reimbursements —
either after the initial application window or after a subsequent
application window that maybe be needed to further address future
purchases.
According to the rule: “If the demand for these future purchases
does not exceed available funds, we will open an additional
application window to allow schools and libraries to seek funding for
eligible equipment and broadband Internet access services that they
purchased earlier in the pandemic to address the needs of students,
school staff, and library patrons who would otherwise have lacked
access to devices and services sufficient to meet their remote
learning needs.”
“Far too often, students, teachers, and library patrons lack the
access they need to broadband and connected devices. This need has
become even more apparent during these unprecedented times,” said
Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chairwoman of the FCC, in a prepared
statement. “Between this Emergency Connectivity Fund Program and
the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, we are investing more than
$10 billion in American students and households. These investments
will help more Americans access online education, healthcare, and
employment resources. They will help close the Homework Gap for
students nationwide and give so many more households the ability to
connect, communicate, and more fully participate in modern life.”
“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made access to the Internet more
important than ever before, including for millions of America’s
students,” said FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, also in a prepared
statement. “Last year, several organizations estimated that it
would require approximately $6.8 billion in support to ensure that
every school kid in this country has access to a high-speed Internet
connection. That is why my priority in this proceeding has been to
ensure that the $7.2 billion initiative we stand up today focuses on
bringing all of those still unconnected students across the digital
divide.”
“Internet access is a necessity,” said FCC Commissioner Geoffrey
Starks. “Beginning in March 2020, school for many children
transformed into a virtual institution nearly overnight—locking
millions of students without broadband and adequate devices out of
the classroom. Though many schools and other organizations have
worked to close the gap, Boston Consulting Group reported that as of
January 2021, up to 12 million K-12 students remain digitally
underserved.1 And the problem is most significant in communities of
color. The divide disproportionately affects Black, Latinx, and
Native American students. Students of color, who make up 40% of the
population, collectively make up 54% of the divide.”
The program will be administered by the Universal Service
Administrative Company (USAC), which also administers the E-rate
program.
The complete details of the FCC’s rules can be found at fcc.gov.