RICHMOND, Va. -- With Virginia students about to return to online classrooms amid the coronavirus pandemic, a new report shows one-in-five-5 K-12 and college students in the Commonwealth don't have broadband access or a computer in their homes.

The study by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia highlights the inequalities students face with digital learning during the pandemic, according to Thomas Allison, senior associate with the Council.

He said the report reveals a surprising finding: While students in rural areas of Virginia still have problems accessing broadband, about 40% of all students lacking access live in urban areas.

"The fact that 40% of the students without broadband live in Virginia cities is a very important point," Allison said. "So, you can have 20 or 30 different options of different companies that want to sell you a broadband subscription, but if you can't afford any of them, it's of no use to you."

He said the report aimed to present an opportunity for policymakers to form a comprehensive response to the challenges presented by the digital divide. Schools in Loudoun, Alexandria and Fairfax counties are among the systems opening with distance learning Sept. 8.

The study analyzed data from the U.S. Census' American Community Survey.

Allison said it finds one major barrier for students -- especially students of color -- is not having enough computers in the home to effectively learn online. He said the survey showed Black and Latino students subscribe to broadband services at similar rates as white students, but the divide emerges with access to computers and laptops.

"Eighteen percent of African-American students and 15% of Latino students don't have a computer in the home. For white students in the Commonwealth it's half as much at 7%," he said. "So, to address the digital divide along racial and ethnic lines, we do think more about subsidizing devices instead of broadband services."

He said it's important to note that online learning becomes more difficult when homes only have one computer that must be shared among children and parents who may be working from home.


Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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A group of West Virginia Democratic delegates is calling for a special session to address West Virginia University's budget shortfall.

Del. Evan Hansen, D-Morgantown, said the legislature shares responsibility for the university's budget crisis, which has resulted in plans to slash 143 faculty positions and eliminate nearly 30 majors. The university's board approved the cuts last week.

Hansen pointed out that over the years, the university's funding has declined by tens of millions of dollars, and added people statewide will feel the impacts of a diminished university system.

"It's a big hit on the local economy and on the regional economy, and for the families of people who are losing their jobs," Hansen noted. "Across the state, there's a lot less discretionary funds available for various programs that provide services in counties all across West Virginia."

The university is facing a $45 million deficit, which its president, E. Gordon Gee, said is due to declining state funding and decreased enrollment. In addition to Hansen, three other delegates are asking the governor to call the legislature into session to support the university.

Hansen emphasized some of the programs targeted for cuts related to diversifying the energy sector and others, have value for the employers and businesses in the Mountain State.

"For example, the public administration program is very important in West Virginia," Hansen outlined. "The parks and recreation program that's being eliminated is something that doesn't make a lot of sense to me, given that we're leaning into an outdoor recreation and tourism based economy. "

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, West Virginia is rapidly losing its population, and is among more than a dozen states experiencing population losses between 2021 and 2022.


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A bill passed during Nevada's last legislative session requires Nevada students in public high schools to learn about economics and financial literacy. But a report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Milken Institute shows many people across the country, young and old, lack the basic knowledge to make smart financial decisions.

Sal Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, said in order to bridge the equity gap around the country, it has partnered with Capital One to offer a free financial education program that is available online.

"Before I even started tutoring my cousins and started Khan Academy, I worked in finance," he said. "I saw the gap that was there, even among folks with professional degrees and college degrees, but we were always looking for a way to resource this and to really get it into the classroom."

Khan added the virtual course allows individuals to learn at their own pace and from wherever they choose. According to the FINRA Foundation, people with higher financial literacy are less likely to have late fees or make only minimum payments on their credit cards.

Kerone Vatel, head of community impact and investment with Capital One, said younger generations across the country are experiencing "angst" when it comes to what she calls "adulting." She added Capital One is excited to join Khan Academy to help people of all ages foster financial wellbeing. Vatel explained there are a lot of things to navigate in today's world, from student debt and credit-card debt to eventually figuring out whether to purchase or rent a home in today's economy.

"So there is a very practical fallout from this," Vatel continued. "We see from research that students who engage in high-quality financial literacy education are twice as likely to save. We know that unexpected things happen in life. Two years ago, I had a major health scare."

The lessons and curriculum, independently developed by Khan Academy, will help people take better control of their finances and let them examine their own spending habits to foster saving over time, Vatel said.

The complex and confusing process of applying to college is thought to be contributing to a decline in the number of high school graduates who go on to higher education. Now, a nonprofit is stepping in with a challenge to those institutions.

In a new survey of 16- to 22-year-olds, more than half said applying for college is their "most stressful academic experience" so far. That led the Lumina Foundation to launch The Great Admissions Redesign.

To improve the application process, said Lumina strategy director Melanie Heath, almost $3 million is being offered to state higher-ed systems, where enrollment has declined across the board "in all types of different degree programs, among all ages of students, among all races of students - particularly for students of color."

In Texas and elsewhere, pandemic disruptions led many typically bound for college to jump into the workforce, where good-paying jobs were on the rise.

More information about The Great Admissions Redesign is online at luminafoundation.org.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that consideration of race in college admissions violates the Constitution, effectively ending the attempts by many universities to increase diversity. In Texas, the decision primarily impacts the University of Texas at Austin, where race was considered in undergraduate admissions, along with many private universities.

Heath said changing the decades-old admission process will require a heavy lift.

"Simplifying admissions is not something that can be done institution by institution," she said. "What's really needed is something at the system or state level - or at least, with three or more institutions."

She said proposals will need to demonstrate that the application process would increase college opportunities for students of color or low-income households, and first-time attendees.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.