Even with free laptops, hotspots, and Wi-Fi access points, taking college classes online has not been easy for many students during the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, including those living in the sparsely populated Navajo Nation, the best solution is driving to the top of a hill to get enough cellular bars to download their coursework. 

Experts fear that the lack of reliable internet access could further heighten the nation's higher education class divide, forcing some students to drop out or not enroll in college. Meanwhile, federal funding and college-driven initiatives have merely scraped the surface of what is needed to address the issue. 

Some colleges were committed to doing as much in-person teaching and activities as possible this semester, even during the pandemic health crisis. Other colleges decided early on to focus attention online and close down campuses for now. Which decision was the right one for students and professors?

It's college application season. But counselors are having a hard time reaching many of their students. The lack of reliable technology continues to be an issue. Most troubling, some students are unmotivated amid their families’ pandemic hardships.

Even with counselors’ efforts to aggressively meet online with students and follow up by text, phone, and email, many seniors, especially the underserved, say virtual counseling is no match for the drop-in, hub-of-activity role that high school college counseling offices provide.