The Unequal Costs of the Digital Divide

For some students, the fall semester has meant a return to in-person learning, but with a new backdrop — of submitting to coronavirus testing, adhering to social distancing, and sometimes taking hybrid courses online. For others the routine is a more familiar one. They’re logging on for the virtual events and online learning that are a more carefully planned version of higher ed’s pivot in the pandemic’s early days.

In either case, attending college during the coronavirus has meant added costs. And the digital divide that was a problem for many students last academic year hasn’t disappeared. In fact, with the fall semester already underway, institutions are still working to assess and overcome the gaps in technology for students.

According to a survey by New America and Third Way, this summer 57 percent of college students said that having access to a stable, high-speed internet connection could be challenging if they continued their education online.

For the most vulnerable students, a lack of access to the internet and a computer could keep them from enrolling. In fact, community colleges — where an early look at enrollment shows a steep drop in attendance this fall — have been ramping up their loaner programs for computers and Wi-Fi hot spots.

Here’s what navigating the digital divide in a time of online learning looks like: