The Philander Smith College campus in Little Rock
Philander Smith College has been awarded nearly $3 million in federal funding for a program aimed at upgrading a range of technologies on campus, including broadband infrastructure, wireless connectivity and hardware, such as laptops and computers, available for use by faculty and students.
That funding is part of a $175 million grant program awarded to 61 minority-serving colleges and universities across the United States to improve internet access. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced the recipients for its Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program Monday.
The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program is part of the Biden administration’s Internet for All Initiative, a program to provide affordable high-speed internet across the U.S.
These grants mark the final round of funding for 93 institutions of higher education that predominantly serve minority populations. Philander Smith is one of 43 historically Black colleges and universities to benefit. Twenty-four Hispanic-serving institutions, 21 minority-serving institutions and five tribal colleges and universities also received funding, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Some of the $2.9 million awarded to Philander Smith will be used to purchase internet access service, purchase new devices and provide technology to freshman students with a focus on students in need, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said its announcement.
The HBCU is also developing a Wi-Fi hotspot “lending program” that would allow “community residents to check out technology for their own educational purposes,” the announcement said.
The awards cover colleges and universities in 29 states and four territories.
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