TL;DR
The homework gap — where students fall behind because they lack a computer or reliable internet at home — didn’t end when COVID school closures did. According to a 2025 SETDA report, students impacted by the digital access divide exhibit GPAs approximately 0.4 points lower than their connected peers, translating to seven to 14 months of learning loss. If your family needs affordable devices or internet for the school year, Human-I-T offers low-cost refurbished laptops and reliable broadband — no hidden fees, no credit checks.
Table of Contents
- How Big Is the Homework Gap in 2025?
- Who Does the Homework Gap Hurt Most?
- Why Haven’t Schools Fixed This Yet?
- What Do Families Actually Need for Back-to-School?
- How Can Families Get Affordable Devices and Internet?
- FAQ
Introduction
Student achievement in the U.S. still hasn’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels — and according to Education Week’s 2025 analysis, those gaps have remained relatively unchanged through 2024 and 2025. The pandemic exposed a crisis that existed long before anyone heard the word "Zoom classroom": millions of students don’t have the devices or internet access they need to keep up.
The crisis had a name before COVID — the homework gap. Students camping out in Starbucks parking lots or sitting outside public libraries after hours, trying to catch a WiFi signal on their phones just to submit an assignment. That image became a symbol of digital inequity in 2020. Five years later, the homework gap hasn’t closed. It’s shifted shape.
Today, nearly every school expects digital participation — yet 12% of U.S. teens still report being unable to complete homework at least sometimes due to unreliable access to a computer or internet, according to recent research. The infrastructure isn’t the only barrier. Cost is. And working families are paying the price.
How Big Is the Homework Gap in 2025?
It’s massive — and measurable. Before the pandemic, estimates placed the number of students without home computers or internet at over 5 million across the country. While school districts distributed millions of devices during COVID-era emergency responses, the underlying connectivity problem persists.
A 2025 SETDA and UCI report found that students on the wrong side of the digital access divide carry GPAs approximately 0.4 points lower than their peers — the equivalent of losing seven to 14 months of learning. That’s not a homework problem. That’s a future-defining disadvantage baked into a child’s transcript.
The situation got worse when the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) — which subsidized internet for millions of low-income households — ended on June 1, 2024. According to the same SETDA report, 13% of ACP recipients said they would cancel their internet service without the benefit, potentially disconnecting nearly 3 million households. Many of those households have school-age children.
Meanwhile, only 27% of states are prepared to sustain K-12 digital access as federal programs expire. The safety net is fraying — and families are falling through.
Who Does the Homework Gap Hurt Most?
The homework gap disproportionately hits rural communities, students of color, and low-income families — the same communities that have been digitally redlined for decades.
Pre-pandemic, students without access to technology and internet were already behind their classmates. They couldn’t research papers, access digital resources, or submit assignments online. That disadvantage compounded. And the SETDA 2025 report reveals another layer: while 72% of students receive some form of digital skills development support at school, only 24% of families receive similar assistance at home. That gap means even when a family gets a device, they may not have the digital literacy support to use it effectively.
Single parents juggling multiple children face an especially brutal math. One laptop and one internet connection aren’t enough when three kids need to attend virtual sessions, access learning platforms, or complete assignments simultaneously. The cost of equipping a household — devices for each child plus reliable broadband — adds up fast. These aren’t families choosing not to connect. They’re families priced out of participation.
Why Haven’t Schools Fixed This Yet?
Because the problem extends far beyond school walls — and school budgets. Districts scrambled during COVID to distribute devices and hotspots, but those emergency measures were never designed to be permanent solutions.
The deeper issue is systemic. Internet service providers charge rates that working families can’t afford, bury costs in fine print, and impose credit checks that function as gatekeeping. With the ACP gone and no federal successor program of equal scale in place, the financial burden has shifted back entirely onto families. Schools can hand out Chromebooks, but they can’t pay a family’s monthly internet bill.
A 2025 K-12 Dive report identified a persistent "digital use divide" — driven in part by insufficient teacher training and a lack of sustained investment in helping students engage meaningfully with technology. The problem isn’t just access anymore. It’s whether access translates into actual learning. And without stable connectivity at home, it doesn’t.
What Do Families Actually Need for Back-to-School?
Forget pencils and paper — the modern back-to-school supply list starts with a working computer and a reliable broadband connection.
Every child in the household needs their own device. Sharing a single laptop between siblings who have overlapping class schedules or assignment deadlines doesn’t work. And a smartphone — while technically a computer — isn’t a substitute for a full-sized screen when writing essays, accessing learning platforms, or attending virtual sessions.
Beyond hardware, families need internet they can actually count on. Not a hotspot that throttles after a few gigabytes. Not a "promotional" plan that doubles in price after three months. Working families need transparent, affordable broadband — the kind where what you see is what you pay.
How Can Families Get Affordable Devices and Internet?
Human-I-T provides low-cost refurbished laptops and reliable internet to income-qualified families — no hidden fees, no credit checks, no surprise price hikes.
Every device we distribute gets a second life. Our technicians securely wipe donated technology, refurbish it, and make it available at prices working families can afford. It’s a circular model: corporations and organizations donate their retired tech, we extend its lifespan, and families get the tools they need to participate in school and beyond.
We also connect families with affordable internet plans and provide digital training and tech support — because bridging the digital divide means more than handing someone a laptop.
If you or someone you know needs affordable devices and internet for the school year, visit our online store at store.human-i-t.org or contact us to learn more. No gimmicks. No gatekeeping. Just real access for real families.
FAQ
What is the homework gap?
The homework gap refers to the educational disadvantage faced by students who lack home access to a computer or reliable internet. These students can’t complete digital assignments, access online learning platforms, or participate in virtual instruction — falling behind peers who are connected. According to a 2025 SETDA report, the gap translates to GPAs approximately 0.4 points lower and seven to 14 months of learning loss.
Did the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program make the homework gap worse?
Yes. The ACP, which ended June 1, 2024, had subsidized internet for millions of low-income households. SETDA’s 2025 research found that 13% of ACP recipients said they would cancel service without the benefit — potentially disconnecting nearly 3 million households, many with school-age children. No federal program of comparable scale has replaced it.
How many students are affected by the digital divide? Pre-pandemic estimates placed the figure at over 5 million students without home computers or internet. While COVID-era device distribution reduced some of that gap, 12% of U.S. teens still report being unable to complete homework at least sometimes due to unreliable access. Only 27% of states are prepared to sustain K-12 digital access as federal funding programs expire.
How can I get an affordable computer for my child?
Human-I-T offers low-cost refurbished laptops, affordable internet plans, digital training, and tech support for income-qualified families. Visit store.human-i-t.org to browse available devices, or check your eligibility for our digital inclusion services. Every purchase supports our mission to close the digital divide.
Can I donate old technology to help students?
Absolutely. Human-I-T accepts donated computers, laptops, and other technology from individuals and organizations. Our NAID AAA-certified team securely destroys all data, refurbishes usable devices, and responsibly recycles the rest. Fill out the technology donation form to give your old tech a second life — and help a student get online.
