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The first generation-serving label that House Bill 1114 would create would attach to schools to pay for internet service but ended in late 2021. ACP replaced EBB in January.

Much is the same except that it’s now $30 per household. However, in response to the ACP’s creation, many of the larger internet providers created $30 broadband plans so the service would essentially be free. Households that meet certain income levels and use one of 114 registered internet providers in Colorado get up to $30 o their monthly bill. For those living on tribal lands, the monthly payment is $75. Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and set aside $14.2 billion to fund ACP.

As of Wednesday, 181,867 households in Colorado had enrolled. State o cials estimate that 800,000 are eligible, which means 23% have signed up.

Evan Maxwell, CEO and founder of EducationSuperHighway, said his that enroll those students at a higher rate than the state average. It would also require Colorado’s higher education department to track how well students do at those schools.

The bill would not require schools to create additional pro- company started in 2013 with a mission to get America’s K-12 schools connected to decent internet. at task, he said, is more or less accomplished, with 99.7% of schools served. e company has since turned to increasing ACP awareness and adoption to help states nd those eligible households who really could use faster internet.

“Only 31% of households nationally and 23% of households in Colorado have signed up for the program,” Maxwell said. “ e goal of this campaign is to drive eligible households to a mobile website called GetACP. org/Colorado. … It’s a soup-to-nuts place for people to go to get started in the process.”

At the site, users can quickly gure out if they’re eligible, get their documentation together, see if there are local internet plans that are free to them, and nd the easiest way to apply. Most users must rst get ap- grams to help those students get to and through college. Nor would it offer colleges more money to provide such support. proved by the federal government at a ordableconnectivity.gov and then let their internet provider know.

Money and support make a difference for students, said Diane Schorr, director of advocacy and initiatives at the Center for Firstgeneration Student Success. She questioned why the state wouldn’t ensure colleges with the new designation get either.

“What I would have liked to have seen is what’s being required of the institution?” Schorr said.

Supporters of the bill — including Metropolitan State University and Colorado Mesa University — would like to prod the state to better fund schools that serve a large share of first-generation students.

But if potential users are still confused, that’s where the 71 local organizations come in. ose include Alamosa Public Library, the city of Greeley, telecom provider DISH Wireless and the Ute Mountain Communication Enterprise. ey’re getting trained by EducationSuperHighway’s LearnACP on how to work with users in person to enroll in ACP.

“If we can bring Colorado to the national best practice rates of 61% adoption, it means that 309,000 more households in Colorado will have access to the internet,” Maxwell said.

Are you eligible?

Families must have incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (for a family of two, that’s less than $39,400, and a family of four is $60,000). >> See income limits

• Or qualify for Lifeline, SNAP, free and reduced-price school lunch, WIC or other government-funded programs.

• A customer of a participating internet provider. >> Search enrolled ISPs

• Get approved at a ordableconnectivity.gov

• Some internet services take it from there but you may need to let them know you’ve been approved.

• Need help? Use the new portal: GetACP.org/Colorado

T his story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

These schools often have lower graduation rates, something that works against them in Colorado’s funding formula. It also costs a lot of money to run the programs that help first-generation students.

Opponents of the bill, including Colorado State University, say that who enrolls the most first-generation students shouldn’t matter. Instead, they say that state funding should follow those students wherever they enroll. With limited state funding for higher education, more money for certain institutions can mean less for others.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters