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The latest crisis: Low-income students are dropping out of college this fall in alarming numbers

JacksinPA

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...um=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most

Many low-income students say they don’t have good enough WiFi at home to take online courses.

In August, Paige McConnell became the first in her family to go to college — and the first to drop out.

McConnell, 18, could not make online classes work. She doesn’t have WiFi at her rural home in Crossville, Tenn. The local library turned her away, not wanting anyone sitting around during the pandemic. She spent hours in a McDonald’s parking lot using the fast-food chain’s Internet, but she kept getting kicked off her college’s virtual classes because the network wasn’t “safe.” Two weeks after starting at Roane State Community College, she gave up.

“At my high school graduation, I told all my family I would go to community college. I was trying to better my future,” McConnell said. “But the online classes really threw me for a loop. I knew I couldn’t do it.”

McConnell’s situation is playing out all over the country. As fall semester gets into full swing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, schools are noticing a concerning trend: Low-income students are the most likely to drop out or not enroll at all, raising fears that they might never get a college degree. Some 100,000 fewer high school seniors completed financial aid applications to attend college this year, according to a National College Attainment Network analysis of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data through August.

The lower enrollment figures are the latest sign of how the economic devastation unleashed by the coronavirus crisis has weighed more heavily on lower-income Americans and minorities, who have suffered higher levels of unemployment and a higher incidence of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Students from families with incomes under $75,000 are nearly twice as likely to say they “canceled all plans” to take classes this fall as students from families with incomes over $100,000, according to a U.S. Census survey in late August.
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Large parts of this country don't have WiFi or cell phone service. This could be a lesson in how vital these utilities are for our country.
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...um=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most

Many low-income students say they don’t have good enough WiFi at home to take online courses.

In August, Paige McConnell became the first in her family to go to college — and the first to drop out.

McConnell, 18, could not make online classes work. She doesn’t have WiFi at her rural home in Crossville, Tenn. The local library turned her away, not wanting anyone sitting around during the pandemic. She spent hours in a McDonald’s parking lot using the fast-food chain’s Internet, but she kept getting kicked off her college’s virtual classes because the network wasn’t “safe.” Two weeks after starting at Roane State Community College, she gave up.

“At my high school graduation, I told all my family I would go to community college. I was trying to better my future,” McConnell said. “But the online classes really threw me for a loop. I knew I couldn’t do it.”

McConnell’s situation is playing out all over the country. As fall semester gets into full swing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, schools are noticing a concerning trend: Low-income students are the most likely to drop out or not enroll at all, raising fears that they might never get a college degree. Some 100,000 fewer high school seniors completed financial aid applications to attend college this year, according to a National College Attainment Network analysis of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data through August.

The lower enrollment figures are the latest sign of how the economic devastation unleashed by the coronavirus crisis has weighed more heavily on lower-income Americans and minorities, who have suffered higher levels of unemployment and a higher incidence of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Students from families with incomes under $75,000 are nearly twice as likely to say they “canceled all plans” to take classes this fall as students from families with incomes over $100,000, according to a U.S. Census survey in late August.
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Large parts of this country don't have WiFi or cell phone service. This could be a lesson in how vital these utilities are for our country.

Another example of failed American infrastructure. By rewarding the top 1%, our investment in what makes America work is failing.
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...um=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most

Many low-income students say they don’t have good enough WiFi at home to take online courses.

In August, Paige McConnell became the first in her family to go to college — and the first to drop out.

McConnell, 18, could not make online classes work. She doesn’t have WiFi at her rural home in Crossville, Tenn. The local library turned her away, not wanting anyone sitting around during the pandemic. She spent hours in a McDonald’s parking lot using the fast-food chain’s Internet, but she kept getting kicked off her college’s virtual classes because the network wasn’t “safe.” Two weeks after starting at Roane State Community College, she gave up.

“At my high school graduation, I told all my family I would go to community college. I was trying to better my future,” McConnell said. “But the online classes really threw me for a loop. I knew I couldn’t do it.”

McConnell’s situation is playing out all over the country. As fall semester gets into full swing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, schools are noticing a concerning trend: Low-income students are the most likely to drop out or not enroll at all, raising fears that they might never get a college degree. Some 100,000 fewer high school seniors completed financial aid applications to attend college this year, according to a National College Attainment Network analysis of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data through August.

The lower enrollment figures are the latest sign of how the economic devastation unleashed by the coronavirus crisis has weighed more heavily on lower-income Americans and minorities, who have suffered higher levels of unemployment and a higher incidence of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Students from families with incomes under $75,000 are nearly twice as likely to say they “canceled all plans” to take classes this fall as students from families with incomes over $100,000, according to a U.S. Census survey in late August.
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Large parts of this country don't have WiFi or cell phone service. This could be a lesson in how vital these utilities are for our country.

Good. The fewer poor people tricked into debt slavery the better.
 
Good. The fewer poor people tricked into debt slavery the better.

"Poor people" usually get grants. Sadly, they don't cover enough, but they do help quite a bit.
 
Another example of failed American infrastructure. By rewarding the top 1%, our investment in what makes America work is failing.

This is why the misnamed "Net Neutrality" rule under Obama needed to be reversed. Regulating internet as a utility hurt, not helped, rural markets and poor communities.
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...um=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most
Many low-income students say they don’t have good enough WiFi at home to take online courses.
In August, Paige McConnell became the first in her family to go to college — and the first to drop out.
McConnell, 18, could not make online classes work. She doesn’t have WiFi at her rural home in Crossville, Tenn. The local library turned her away, not wanting anyone sitting around during the pandemic. She spent hours in a McDonald’s parking lot using the fast-food chain’s Internet, but she kept getting kicked off her college’s virtual classes because the network wasn’t “safe.” Two weeks after starting at Roane State Community College, she gave up.
“At my high school graduation, I told all my family I would go to community college. I was trying to better my future,” McConnell said. “But the online classes really threw me for a loop. I knew I couldn’t do it.”
McConnell’s situation is playing out all over the country. As fall semester gets into full swing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, schools are noticing a concerning trend: Low-income students are the most likely to drop out or not enroll at all, raising fears that they might never get a college degree. Some 100,000 fewer high school seniors completed financial aid applications to attend college this year, according to a National College Attainment Network analysis of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data through August.
The lower enrollment figures are the latest sign of how the economic devastation unleashed by the coronavirus crisis has weighed more heavily on lower-income Americans and minorities, who have suffered higher levels of unemployment and a higher incidence of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Students from families with incomes under $75,000 are nearly twice as likely to say they “canceled all plans” to take classes this fall as students from families with incomes over $100,000, according to a U.S. Census survey in late August.
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Large parts of this country don't have WiFi or cell phone service. This could be a lesson in how vital these utilities are for our country.


That particular community college in Crossville is open for classes.

If she can spend hours in a McDonald parking lot, why can't she spend hours at the community college?
 
Broadband internet availability (internet faster than 25 Mbps):

Crossville 99%
TN 85%
USA 79%
 
"Poor people" usually get grants. Sadly, they don't cover enough, but they do help quite a bit.

They "help" colleges extract more money from the taxpayers.
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...um=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most

Many low-income students say they don’t have good enough WiFi at home to take online courses.

In August, Paige McConnell became the first in her family to go to college — and the first to drop out.

McConnell, 18, could not make online classes work. She doesn’t have WiFi at her rural home in Crossville, Tenn. The local library turned her away, not wanting anyone sitting around during the pandemic. She spent hours in a McDonald’s parking lot using the fast-food chain’s Internet, but she kept getting kicked off her college’s virtual classes because the network wasn’t “safe.” Two weeks after starting at Roane State Community College, she gave up.

“At my high school graduation, I told all my family I would go to community college. I was trying to better my future,” McConnell said. “But the online classes really threw me for a loop. I knew I couldn’t do it.”

McConnell’s situation is playing out all over the country. As fall semester gets into full swing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, schools are noticing a concerning trend: Low-income students are the most likely to drop out or not enroll at all, raising fears that they might never get a college degree. Some 100,000 fewer high school seniors completed financial aid applications to attend college this year, according to a National College Attainment Network analysis of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data through August.

The lower enrollment figures are the latest sign of how the economic devastation unleashed by the coronavirus crisis has weighed more heavily on lower-income Americans and minorities, who have suffered higher levels of unemployment and a higher incidence of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Students from families with incomes under $75,000 are nearly twice as likely to say they “canceled all plans” to take classes this fall as students from families with incomes over $100,000, according to a U.S. Census survey in late August.
=====================================================================
Large parts of this country don't have WiFi or cell phone service. This could be a lesson in how vital these utilities are for our country.

They're working on it here, thanks to some entrepreneurs who got grant money and worked with providers across the state to extend service options. But carriers just are not going to invest in areas where there aren't enough potential customers to make it worth their while. It is definitely a problem. Thankfully, our kids were able to return to the regular classroom this fall, because a lot of students missed out last spring. I wouldn't mind national wifi access being run like an essential service, like electricity, but that takes time--it did when electricity and telephone service were "new," too. It took a long time for it to reach rural areas.
 
This is why the misnamed "Net Neutrality" rule under Obama needed to be reversed. Regulating internet as a utility hurt, not helped, rural markets and poor communities.

Couldn't disagree with you more. Net neutrality removal enhanced providers profits. With those increased profits have the broadband providers rushed to improve rural and other underserved areas? Nope. Internet service needs to be regulated as a utility. It is a necessity for life in America, right up there with electricity, sewer and water.
 
Another example of failed American infrastructure. By rewarding the top 1%, our investment in what makes America work is failing.
The top 1% are the ones installing those services - that's how the become the top one percent. I look at maps the major carriers put out and it's damn hard to find many populated places that don't have service.

Verizon for instance:

Verizon 4G LTE.jpg

Source and more information.

And yes there are still holes and poor service that should be addressed.
 
Couldn't disagree with you more. Net neutrality removal enhanced providers profits. With those increased profits have the broadband providers rushed to improve rural and other underserved areas? Nope. Internet service needs to be regulated as a utility. It is a necessity for life in America, right up there with electricity, sewer and water.

"Rushed" is not the standard, and Obama didn't mandate it be provided. He mandated that the providers who do provide it engage in a bunch of burdensome recordkeeping and provide guaranteed speeds which simply are not possible for every customer with wireless internet. In the meantime, rural communities are now experiencing expanded internet access including fiber. The fed just funded another $16B in rural expansion in the CARES act.
 
"Rushed" is not the standard, and Obama didn't mandate it be provided. He mandated that the providers who do provide it engage in a bunch of burdensome recordkeeping and provide guaranteed speeds which simply are not possible for every customer with wireless internet. In the meantime, rural communities are now experiencing expanded internet access including fiber. The fed just funded another $16B in rural expansion in the CARES act.

Yes, the Federal govt is supplying additional funding. Where is the providers cash? They've been recording profits because of 'violations' of the idea of net neutrality. Internet providers are today's Enron, companies manipulating something necessary for living in America to generate outsize profits.
 
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