Giving Compass' Take:

• Mordecai I. Brownlee, at EdSurge, highlights the unique opportunity for colleges to institute policies aimed at closing the digital divide during the pandemic.

• How does the digital divide uniquely impact students within marginalized communities? Why is closing the digital divide essential in an increasingly technological age? What are you doing to help close the digital divide during COVID-19?

• Discover funds to help you support relief efforts throughout the chaos of COVID.

Since the middle of the spring 2020 semester, the higher education sector, which employs nearly four million people across the country and educates nearly 20 million students, has had its doors closed, having moved in-seat courses online.

By underscoring the digital divide in higher education, COVID-19 has exacerbated a societal issue that has been present for years, especially in our rural and low-wealth communities. The problem may worsen this autumn, as many colleges are planning for online or hybrid instruction for the start of the new school year. As institutions across the nation host a series of difficult conversations about how to ensure the health and safety of students, faculty and staff, they should also prioritize plans to ensure these groups have access to the technology they need to succeed.

Here are two recommendations for how higher education institutions can help close the digital divide:

Restructure Tuition and Fees to Provide Technology for All Students

Institutions that strategically restructure their tuition and fee models to ensure that laptops, hotspots and required technology accessories are available to students can remove the economic barriers that were present pre-COVID and that have gotten worse since the pandemic.

Develop Free Technology Loan Programs for Students

In this scenario, students could contact an institutional department to request technology upon registering for classes and receive a loaned tool for the duration of their active enrollment.

It is imperative for institutions to acknowledge and address the digital divide present within their own student bodies and aid in the fight for social and economic mobility by empowering students through technology.

Together we can close the gap on the digital divide. Together we can promote equitable student success in our new era of education.

Read the full article about closing the digital divide by Mordecai I. Brownlee at EdSurge.