Here’s How Colleges Should Help Close the Digital Divide in the COVID-Era

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

1. Restructure Tuition and Fees to Provide Technology for All Students. Incorporate laptop and technology accessory needs, like hotspot activation and coverage, into the tuition and fees cost structure. 
2. Develop Free Technology Loan Programs for Students. 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.

[Mordecai I. Brownlee is the vice president of student success at St. Philip's College in San Antonio, Texas.]