Comments to the FCC on the Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund

On January 25, 2021, New America's Higher Education Program and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) Association submitted comments to the FCC on an emergency broadband subsidy program that will now include Pell Grant recipients as eligible participants. The comments detail several ways the FCC can, and should, allow students, institutions, and the U.S. Department of Education to verify Pell Grant status for the purposes of accessing the broadband subsidies. Recent research from New America highlights the importance of connectivity for low-income college students; our recent survey found that the lack of technology or internet access has led a substantial share of community college students to drop out of college during the pandemic.

On February 16, 2021, New America's Amy Laitinen also submitted a reply comment to the FCC on the program.