On May 11, 2020, RAMC submitted a letter to congressional leaders urging federal support for higher education broadband initiatives in future COVID relief packages. In the letter, RAMC members write:

In addition to all the services mentioned above, many of our K-12 schools are looking to our systems to assist them with remote learning during these times. While there has been an emphasis on the needs of connectivity within the K-12 systems, there has been a dearth of conversation around the needs of students in higher education. As noted in various news articles, our students also suffer from lack of access to the internet at home that make it difficult for them to continue learning. Although we have been able to provide Wi-Fi hotspots around our campuses as noted above, it is not sufficient for our students to continue with distance learning for the foreseeable future.

Accordingly, RAMC believes additional support is needed from the Federal government to aid our students during this crisis and ensure America has the educated and trained workforce to rebuild our economy. We urge Congress to ensure that any broadband initiative included in the next COVID-19 package not only focus on K12 education students, but also provides connectivity for college students who lack sufficient internet access and technology to continue with their education.

Read the letter here.