The A+ Solution to the Homework Gap
Last updated Apr 23, 2026.
The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) was a federal program that allowed schools and libraries to provide laptops, tablets, and home internet service to students and library patrons who would otherwise lack them during the covid-19 pandemic. In June 2024, the program expired, leaving the millions of students and library patrons it connected to fall back into the digital divide.
While the return to in-person school and availability of in-person services has enabled many to regain access to the internet during the day, students without reliable at-home access will continue to experience the homework gap, impacting their ability to succeed academically and have access to the same extracurriculars, internships, creativity, and socializing as their peers. Teachers are keenly aware of this gap in access; 40% of teachers in Title I schools said they would not assign homework that required digital access because students would have trouble completing it.
Our Research estimates that 9 - 16 million students lack reliable internet access at home, putting them at a serious disadvantage. Students without reliable internet access at home earn significantly lower grades than their connected classmates. Over time, this impact on academic performance can lower annual incomes by 4 to 6 percent. When taking into account all disconnected students the digital access divide leads to an annual GDP loss of $22 to $33 billion.
Fortunately, a new FCC program seeks to fill this gap, enabling schools and libraries to provide access to students and patrons off-site. While the ECF program was crucial, many states’ needs far exceeded the support provided – needs that can be met, in part, by the hotspot lending program. The visual below shows the percentage of unmet internet connectivity needs in the ECF program. For example, if a state requested $100,000 for hotspots but only received $50,000, their unmet need would be 50%.
Sources: FCC ECF
funding request and committement data
*A 0% unmet need may reflect fulfilled requests, lower demand due to eligibility or awareness gaps, or obligated funds exceeding actual services due to cost adjustments or cancellations.
The interactive map below shows how much money each state has been awarded by the ECF and what that funding was used to purchase. Help us highlight the ongoing need for student connectivity by sharing your story below.
National ECF Data
Total awards and purchases
8,233,710
Home internet connections
13,515,165
Laptops and tablets
$7,089,984,449
Total ECF awards
State ECF Data
Alabama ECF Data
In Alabama, there are 95,501 Home internet connections 200,129 Laptops and tablets and $79,120,682 ECF awards
Alaska ECF Data
In Alaska, there are 16,545 Home internet connections 23,391 Laptops and tablets and $86,480,069 ECF awards
Arizona ECF Data
In Arizona, there are 101,430 Home internet connections 414,165 Laptops and tablets and $188,446,035 ECF awards
Arkansas ECF Data
In Arkansas, there are 26,558 Home internet connections 132,281 Laptops and tablets and $51,363,643 ECF awards
California ECF Data
In California, there are 1,499,740 Home internet connections 1,581,423 Laptops and tablets and $996,420,382 ECF awards
Colorado ECF Data
In Colorado, there are 31,186 Home internet connections 162,159 Laptops and tablets and $66,901,240 ECF awards
ECF Data
In , there are 45,463 Home internet connections 153,841 Laptops and tablets and $65,912,880 ECF awards
Delaware ECF Data
In Delaware, there are 760 Home internet connections 45,981 Laptops and tablets and $17,478,165 ECF awards
District of Columbia ECF Data
In District of Columbia, there are 88,663 Home internet connections 54,855 Laptops and tablets and $37,095,557 ECF awards
Florida ECF Data
In Florida, there are 292,065 Home internet connections 748,693 Laptops and tablets and $356,549,912 ECF awards
Georgia ECF Data
In Georgia, there are 98,962 Home internet connections 496,461 Laptops and tablets and $221,998,017 ECF awards
ECF Data
In , there are 9,013 Home internet connections 9,013 Laptops and tablets and $6,327,126 ECF awards
Hawaii ECF Data
In Hawaii, there are 757 Home internet connections 20,568 Laptops and tablets and $73,307,009 ECF awards
Idaho ECF Data
In Idaho, there are 13,782 Home internet connections 103,284 Laptops and tablets and $42,990,856 ECF awards
Illinois ECF Data
In Illinois, there are 217,953 Home internet connections 735,066 Laptops and tablets and $257,760,721 ECF awards
Indiana ECF Data
In Indiana, there are 44,752 Home internet connections 227,284 Laptops and tablets and $96,352,127 ECF awards
Iowa ECF Data
In Iowa, there are 25,480 Home internet connections 107,735 Laptops and tablets and $43,568,635 ECF awards
Kansas ECF Data
In Kansas, there are 41,367 Home internet connections 83,265 Laptops and tablets and $38,614,103 ECF awards
Kentucky ECF Data
In Kentucky, there are 143,072 Home internet connections 189,546 Laptops and tablets and $88,630,064 ECF awards
Louisiana ECF Data
In Louisiana, there are 41,441 Home internet connections 234,714 Laptops and tablets and $94,718,477 ECF awards
Maine ECF Data
In Maine, there are 10,191 Home internet connections 17,705 Laptops and tablets and $9,386,826 ECF awards
Maryland ECF Data
In Maryland, there are 120,868 Home internet connections 309,258 Laptops and tablets and $145,895,122 ECF awards
Massachusetts ECF Data
In Massachusetts, there are 64,405 Home internet connections 244,238 Laptops and tablets and $97,622,983 ECF awards
Michigan ECF Data
In Michigan, there are 169,030 Home internet connections 354,222 Laptops and tablets and $172,339,152 ECF awards
Minnesota ECF Data
In Minnesota, there are 73,833 Home internet connections 275,620 Laptops and tablets and $98,654,357 ECF awards
Mississippi ECF Data
In Mississippi, there are 71,990 Home internet connections 61,232 Laptops and tablets and $43,672,946 ECF awards
Missouri ECF Data
In Missouri, there are 103,193 Home internet connections 282,056 Laptops and tablets and $123,820,375 ECF awards
Montana ECF Data
In Montana, there are 2,013 Home internet connections 23,130 Laptops and tablets and $8,326,407 ECF awards
Nebraska ECF Data
In Nebraska, there are 2,460 Home internet connections 118,300 Laptops and tablets and $44,149,015 ECF awards
Nevada ECF Data
In Nevada, there are 71,218 Home internet connections 39,611 Laptops and tablets and $28,350,310 ECF awards
New Hampshire ECF Data
In New Hampshire, there are 2,471 Home internet connections 28,735 Laptops and tablets and $8,842,927 ECF awards
New Jersey ECF Data
In New Jersey, there are 160,857 Home internet connections 384,236 Laptops and tablets and $163,676,256 ECF awards
New Mexico ECF Data
In New Mexico, there are 55,566 Home internet connections 144,454 Laptops and tablets and $84,991,060 ECF awards
New York ECF Data
In New York, there are 2,266,101 Home internet connections 669,727 Laptops and tablets and $801,915,581 ECF awards
North Carolina ECF Data
In North Carolina, there are 141,850 Home internet connections 472,111 Laptops and tablets and $198,313,643 ECF awards
North Dakota ECF Data
In North Dakota, there are 855 Home internet connections 16,452 Laptops and tablets and $6,988,948 ECF awards
ECF Data
In , there are 4,125 Home internet connections 125 Laptops and tablets and $1,385,625 ECF awards
Ohio ECF Data
In Ohio, there are 175,044 Home internet connections 313,758 Laptops and tablets and $154,201,981 ECF awards
Oklahoma ECF Data
In Oklahoma, there are 165,318 Home internet connections 252,978 Laptops and tablets and $129,259,217 ECF awards
Oregon ECF Data
In Oregon, there are 40,292 Home internet connections 225,590 Laptops and tablets and $97,662,281 ECF awards
Pennsylvania ECF Data
In Pennsylvania, there are 118,806 Home internet connections 253,091 Laptops and tablets and $125,501,000 ECF awards
ECF Data
In , there are 385,146 Home internet connections 40,949 Laptops and tablets and $154,714,421 ECF awards
Rhode Island ECF Data
In Rhode Island, there are 7,586 Home internet connections 56,746 Laptops and tablets and $23,276,282 ECF awards
South Carolina ECF Data
In South Carolina, there are 22,291 Home internet connections 109,740 Laptops and tablets and $56,311,664 ECF awards
South Dakota ECF Data
In South Dakota, there are 4,929 Home internet connections 28,229 Laptops and tablets and $10,015,024 ECF awards
Tennessee ECF Data
In Tennessee, there are 64,135 Home internet connections 185,598 Laptops and tablets and $88,679,053 ECF awards
Texas ECF Data
In Texas, there are 770,166 Home internet connections 1,840,263 Laptops and tablets and $817,566,676 ECF awards
Utah ECF Data
In Utah, there are 23,224 Home internet connections 120,942 Laptops and tablets and $51,928,416 ECF awards
Vermont ECF Data
In Vermont, there are 3,435 Home internet connections 15,940 Laptops and tablets and $8,023,530 ECF awards
ECF Data
In , there are 80 Home internet connections 12,092 Laptops and tablets and $4,869,871 ECF awards
Virginia ECF Data
In Virginia, there are 102,287 Home internet connections 215,603 Laptops and tablets and $104,010,025 ECF awards
Washington ECF Data
In Washington, there are 62,452 Home internet connections 334,375 Laptops and tablets and $151,862,230 ECF awards
West Virginia ECF Data
In West Virginia, there are 80,328 Home internet connections 24,181 Laptops and tablets and $54,128,230 ECF awards
Wisconsin ECF Data
In Wisconsin, there are 46,357 Home internet connections 303,096 Laptops and tablets and $99,743,590 ECF awards
Wyoming ECF Data
In Wyoming, there are 2,846 Home internet connections 9,719 Laptops and tablets and $5,645,682 ECF awards
Sources: USAC Emergency Connectivity Fund FCC Form 471; FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund Waves 1-39 Obligations by State.
Stories
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Contact Name: Chad Geston
School/District: Phoenix Union High School District
Story:
ESS students who participate in Upward and Onward, a work based learning program, are able to travel to multiple sites while they are learning job skills at different sites and still use their laptops and hotspots to stay connected to school.The laptops and hotspots created the conditions that allowed them to continue to learn and minimize disruption to learning while not physically present at their schools.
If ECF is discontinued, PXU will have to look towards other funding sources to continue to provide laptops as part of our 1:1 initiative.The lack of access to digital resources and courses creates barriers to completing homework, class assignments, graduation and developing real world work based skills. PXU's ability to support the flexibility of learning in some of our schools, particularly PXU Digital Academy and our newest school, PXU City could be significantly impacted.
Location: Oakland, CA
Contact Name: Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell
School/District: Oakland Unified School District
Story:
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many inequities affecting OUSD students. At the onset of school closures, we found that only 12% of our low-income students had the resources needed to fully participate in distance learning. We were fortunate to be part of a citywide coalition, namely #OaklandUndivided, that raised this to 97% today. However, existing District funds and philanthropy cannot permanently close the digital divide for our students.
The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) has become a critical and continuing means for us to ensure that every OUSD student has access to a home computer and internet connection. We hope to see this program continue for years to come so that we can confidently state that every OUSD student has the necessary digital tools to graduate college, career, and community ready.
Location: Reno, NV
Contact Name: Chris Turner
School/District: Washoe County School District
Story:
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, there was a significant gap between the haves and have nots. Our 1:1 schools were well prepared having already supplied students with devices before sending them home for pandemic break. But the non 1:1 schools were forced to distribute paper packets, which was a tremendous logistical effort.
A district-wide 1:1 device ratio would have been extremely helpful before the pandemic, but it remains critically important going forward. It would simplify textbook delivery and access to digital materials and help students develop 21st century technology skills, such as information and digital literacy — skills that local employers and colleges expect our students to have.
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Contact Name: Michael Watson
School/District: Chattanooga-Hamilton CO Library
Story:
Through the Emergency Connectivity Fund, we seek to address connectivity issues for Library patrons which represents a smaller fraction of the possibly eligible households. Two of the CPL's branches are located in high poverty areas. The East Lake/East Chattanooga communities, which are primarily Hispanic, have a poverty level over double the state of Tennessee average. The South Chattanooga branch services a predominately African-American population, and nearly half of residents around this area live below the poverty level. Above all, these two areas would benefit from this grant. Whether children or adults, CPL offers online learning, reading materials, story time for children, local history content, and much more. In awarding this grant, the FCC becomes a catalyst in life-long learning, walking side-by-side with the Chattanooga Public Library in the community.
Location: Roseville, MN
Contact Name: Christopher DeWuske
School/District: Concordia Academy
Story:
As we look to the future, especially in light of COVID, we realize the need for devices that are flexible in how they are used and equitable to students of all backgrounds for how they are accessed. To this end, rather than having a myriad of outdated devices checked out to students from carts, we want to be prepared if another wave of distance learning occurs and look beyond the scope of COVID learning to apply best practices in all technology areas proactively. This has historically not been the case for our school. I've noticed a lot of missed opportunities, and I'm hoping to remedy these through this ECF funding. We are not presently a 1:1 school or even a BYOD school. Most teachers are not technology literate, and our students are further behind than their public school counterparts in operational skills to access technology.
This should not be the case, and our students deserve better. With the opportunities provided through this funding, I would be able to train staff and students for 21st century competencies and close the digital gap, especially as it relates to technology access skills. It is also my goal to establish a digital coaching team to facilitate professional development opportunities and from there build a student team for peer support.The first step to many of these goals is to put devices in the hands of our students so they can access the tools that most other schools have access to. Without having these devices, I fear the digital gap for our students will only grow.
Location: Hamburg, NY
Contact Name: Michael Sullivan
School/District: Frontier Central School District
Story:
We found that the laptops change classroom circumstances (especially during COVID), making it easier for teachers to engage students in substantive, collaborative, project-based work. With laptops, student and teacher research can happen anywhere at anytime, at home, note taking, or journal writing can get done on the spot, preserving first impressions and providing immediate feedback. Classroom dynamics changed when each student had their own laptop or device every day. Computer based work - such as writing and revising, printing, and sharing or collecting data became one of many activities happening in the classroom. Teachers became more able to engage students in inquiry-oriented, project-based learning. Teachers tried new kinds of projects with their students and they conducted original research and authentic scientific experiments. Continuous access, for both teachers and students, to computer-based tools like this and data analysis programs facilitates this kind of long-term, in-depth teaching and learning.
Location: Mountain Village, AK
Contact Name: Gene Stone
School/District: Lower Yukon School District
Story:
Used their Emergency Connectivity Funding to pay for infrastructure to extend affordable internet access to the homes of students and teachers If the ECF funding ends in 2023, "...while the district's teachers and students will still need home access to the Internet, without a new source of funding, it will be out of reach." The fact remains that residential Internet in remote Alaska is simply not affordable. ECF made the critical infrastructure affordable, and it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars to just let that infrastructure go unused if ECF funding ends.
Location: Bangor, ME
School/District: All Saints Catholic School
Story:
All Saints Catholic School in Bangor, Maine was able to use ECF support to purchase 1:1 laptops for students in grades K-8 through the pandemic: "We were able to make a bulk request for state-of-the-art laptops and travel bags to allow students to get them home and back to school safely. Throughout the year many students got Covid and had to isolate and miss 5- 10 days of school. Nearly all children were well enough to continue to participate in their daily classes through Google Classroom due to mild symptoms. The laptops allowed this to happen without interruption in most cases. Teachers were also provided MacBooks for home use so they could continue to deliver instruction when remote learning was required. Normally a request like this would take our school 5 or more years to complete. With the ECF grant, we requested all that we needed at one time!"
Location: Baltimore, MD
School/District: Baltimore County Public School
Story:
Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland has found ECF funding to have been instrumental in ensuring that all of our students who need high-speed internet receive it. "We are a mixed urban/rural school district/County, with varying needs of students from families not being able to afford high-speed internet in their homes, to families who live out in the countryside where high-speed copper or fiber services are not available at their homes. We have been able to utilize the ECF funding to provide equal access to any family who needed it, thus balancing the availability of high-speed mobile internet to any family who requested the service. The continuation of ECF-provided funding for the purpose of outfitting our buses, which transport approximately 80,000 students per day will help to extend the learning from home to school in the morning, and from school to home in the evenings. This will provide students access to educational resources no matter if the student only has a five-minute ride to/from school, or if the student has a thirty+ minute ride to/from school."
Location: Rockester, NY
School/District: Rochester City School District
Story:
Rochester City School District in New York utilized over $11.5M in funding from ECF and EducationSuperHighway's Bridge to Broadband Program to accurately identify all unconnected students in the district and cover the costs of laptops, tablets, wi-fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students and school staff during the pandemic. Rochester City School Districts' efforts and the funding provided by ECF ensured that all students, regardless of zip code or circumstance, had equitable access to the internet and the opportunity to continue learning.
Location: Rockester, TX
School/District: Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (CFISD)
Story:
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (CFISD) in Texas made the decision to provide every student a Chromebook device in 2020. In order to provide 118,000 students with a Chromebook device, "our district purchased approximately 75,000 Chromebook devices in addition to our existing inventory. CFISD has utilized the ECF funding to implement a replacement cycle for our 1:1 program as our older Chromebook devices begin to reach the point that they no longer receive operating system updates. The ECF program has afforded us the opportunity to purchase replacement devices; therefore, keeping students connected and playing a significant role in closing the homework gap."
Location: Houston, TX
School/District: Harris County Public Librar
Story:
Harris County Public Library in Houston, Texas conducted the largest Emergency Connectivity Fund tablet (15,000) and MiFi device (40,000) distribution program of any public library in the country. With more than 13 percent of households in Harris County lacking access to the internet, it is essential that the ECF program be continued and that additional funding be available to help continue meeting the critical need of our patrons who depend on this program for their internet connectivity.