Some Democratic House members have introduced a bill to fund distance learning for higher education, mirroring an effort in the Senate.
The Supporting Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act would provide $1 billion to colleges and universities for distance learning for students "in need."
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The money would be targeted to schools serving Blacks Hispanics, tribes, and rural students eligible for need-based financing (like Pell grants).
The money can be used for broadband service but also for routers, modems, WiFi hotspots, tablets or laptops.
The bill mirrors one introduced in the Senate by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and others.
“I’m proud to introduce this legislation to provide funding to higher education institutions so that they can support the students who are in greatest need by directly paying for broadband plans, equipment needed to connect to the internet, and internet-connected devices," said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.).
