Even before the COVID-19 pandemic made distance education the new normal, it was steadily becoming more common. Today’s students—many of whom work while in college, are financially independent, or have children of their own—need access to a college education off-campus to pursue higher education in a format that works for them. But there are still many barriers that stand in the way of a more widely used distance education system. Policymakers must address the inequity of internet and technology access.

Read more about Higher Learning Advocates’ policy recommendations for distance education here.