How do community college students access online learning?

Prior to the pandemic, approximately 20 percent of undergraduates had difficulty maintaining access to technology, including access to devices, data storage, and the internet. In the era when technological adoptions can open the door to educational and economic opportunities, the gap between those with stable technological access and those who don’t, more commonly known as the digital divide, can exacerbate the gaps in student outcomes. And while broadband access has improved over the past two decades, the divide continues to be wider along racial and economic lines.

When schools shut down and learning moved online because of the pandemic, the digital divide became a much more tangible issue. Technology became a necessary condition for academic success. Inadequate access threatened students’ ability to complete their courses and continue their studies in a new learning environment. This was felt particularly acutely among underserved students such as students of color, low-income students, and students who were the first in their families to attend college.

Fast forward three years and significant investments have been made to close the digital divide. Federal and state programs delivering broadband access have expanded. Colleges are providing loaner laptops and hotspots to their students. However, ensuring that students can connect to their courses remains a major challenge. Last year, a national survey of undergraduate students conducted by EDUCAUSE found that roughly two thirds (64 percent) of respondents experienced unstable internet connection. This finding shows that expanded broadband access does not necessarily equate to greater internet quality. Ongoing technological challenges continue to prevent students from succeeding on campuses where being online is still a crucial part of being a student even as we move beyond the pandemic.

This blog explores the extent of the digital divide at community colleges using findings from our survey of current, former, and would-be community college students conducted in December 2022. Through questions about internet and device access and quality, the blog not only sheds light on what students experience but also what the federal government and institutions can do to support students.

The survey shows that a majority of each group (88 percent of continuers, 77 percent of stop-outs, 87 percent of new students, and 79 percent of aspirants) reported having access to high-speed internet at home other than their mobile phones (See Figure 1).[1] Among students with access to high-speed internet, most (92 percent of continuers, 88 percent of stop-outs, 92 percent of new students, and 89 percent of aspirants) rated the quality of their home internet connection as excellent or good (see Figure 2).

However, access to internet services does not necessarily mean stable connection. Among those who reported having access to high-speed internet, 28 percent of continuers, 18 percent of stop-outs, 20 percent of new students, and 16 percent of aspirants said the internet at home is slow, unreliable, or difficult to access when trying to access online content (see Table 1).

Two in three continuers (66 percent) and nearly three in four new students (72 percent) primarily use laptops or desktops to access course content. Having said that, many students still rely on a mobile or cellular device. One fifth of continuers (20 percent) and new students (21 percent) use a mobile or cellular device to complete coursework (see Figure 3). While it is unclear whether this is due to limited access to technology or personal preference, these numbers suggest two major barriers to online learning: connectivity issues and a device access gap.

During the pandemic, Congress made several investments to address the digital divide, including directing $3.2 billion to the Emergency Broadband Benefits program (EBB), which provided eligible households with a monthly discount on broadband access and certain devices. Colleges were also able to deliver computers and internet access to students using the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF). This is in addition to the $25 billion from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that is dedicated to helping state and local governments improve high-speed internet access in the last round of pandemic funding.

However, these COVID-19 relief programs will end once emergency funding expires. On December 31, 2021, President Biden authorized the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to replace EBB as a long-term, $14 billion program until funding runs out. ACP provides eligible households up to $30 per month on their internet bills and up to $75 per month for qualifying households on Tribal lands. ACP has exceeded EBB enrollment and the program is expected to benefit low-income communities–more than 690,000 students have qualified and enrolled as a Pell Grant recipient.

Despite these federal programs committed to providing internet and technology assistance, roughly half of all respondents (61 percent of continuers, 48 percent of stop-outs, 48 percent of new students, and 48 percent of aspirants) with access to high-speed internet indicated that internet access is a high financial burden. This number has remained largely unchanged for continuers (59 percent) and new students (46 percent) since we asked them this question two years ago (see Figure 4).

We also found that students who are not currently enrolled (74 percent of stop-outs and aspirants) were more likely to not access any form of internet assistance compared to their enrolled peers (27 percent of continuers and 51 percent of new students). Across all groups, students were more likely to access internet assistance through colleges (between 8 and 47 percent) rather than state (between 9 and 24 percent) and federal programs (between 6 and 9 percent) (see Figure 5).

The past three years have highlighted the internet and device barriers that students encounter when completing their education. Findings from this survey suggest that many students have access to high-speed internet but the quality of these services is not suitable for connecting to online courses. With online learning not leaving college campuses anytime soon, student success hinges on having stable access to internet and other technology. These findings indicate that the availability of institutional, state, and federal assistance does not mean students are accessing them and that policymakers and researchers must consider how to address this ongoing gap once pandemic-era programs expire.

[1] Our survey looks into four groups of students at community college: “continuers,” who enrolled between January 2021 and 2022 and continued enrollment in fall of 2022, “stop-outs,” who enrolled between spring 2021 and 2022 and are no longer enrolled, “new students,” who considered enrolling earlier in the year and enrolled in the fall 2022, and “aspirants,” who considered enrolling earlier in the year and are not currently enrolled.

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