Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday extended the Alabama Broadband Connectivity for Students program, which has provided access to high-speed internet for about 200,000 Alabama students.
Funding for the program was going to end on Dec. 30, but the newly signed relief package extended into 2021 the federal deadline for states to spend CARES Act funds, which were used to fund the ABC for Students program. The extension and the funds already designated should cover current participants through spring 2021, according to the governor.
“Alabama has led nationally with this innovative program via CARES Act funding to ensure that students can participate in distance-learning during the pandemic,” Ivey said. “I am pleased that we will continue to offer this assistance to the families who are signed up for the program. My hope is that this extension is welcome news for both parents and students during an unusual and difficult school year.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is managing the ABC for Students program for the state.
