Dive Brief:
- A new report finds approximately 680,000 Florida residents do not have access to high-speed broadband internet, with many of them located in the state's rural areas, according to the Gainesville Sun. The lack of internet is making it harder to expand the number of college degrees and graduates in the state and hindering economic development.
- More institutions are offering online classes and degree programs, but the lack of internet access can hinder students' ability to take advantage of this opportunity. The state's Higher Education Coordinating Council wants 55% of Florida's working age population to have attained a degree or certificate by 2025, but the number currently sits at less than 47%.
- Education officials and school leaders hope to partner with private industry to spur the construction of broadband access throughout the state, and they're looking to legislation, like a new bill allowing telecommunications companies to install "small cell" devices on public rights-of-way, to help increase access incrementally.
Dive Insight:
In addition to concerns that a lack of broadband access may limit students' abilities to attend online classes, it also might hinder the ability of higher ed institutions to conduct outreach, particularly to nontraditional students who may be more drawn to professional certification courses that can be completed online. A report released earlier this year indicated that 27% of first-generation students, 25% of Hispanic students, 24% of African-American students and 24% of students from households with an income lower than $60,000 per year utilized social media to find their college of choice, and a report released yesterday showed the ways in which schools can improve their online presence to appeal to adult learners. In sparsely populated areas, it may even less likely that students will want to travel far for a physical campus, even for a tour, so reaching them online is all the more essential, and higher ed administrations are missing a vital piece if they are not able to conduct that kind of marketing and outreach.
Despite the lack of broadband access, administrators could try to find facilities or institutions with internet access located in or as close to the affected communities as possible to offer a center of outreach. Though a library in a particular county may not have broadband access, there may be a facility in a neighboring area that has the ability to access the World Wide Web. If institutions can popularize the notion that there are options and opportunities available for higher ed accreditation online, it may entice citizens of the affected counties to exert more pressure upon local lawmakers to expedite the process of equipping these towns and counties with the broadband access needed to support a successful college education.