SC Technical College System Awarded Federal Grant to Expand Broadband Access and Use in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, SC – February 8, 2010 – The SC Technical College System has been awarded a grant for $5.9M by the US Department of Commerce – National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).  The grant will fund South Carolina Ready to Educate, Activate, Connect and provide Health Information for Success – SC REACH FOR SUCCESS initiative. 

“Accessibility is a cornerstone of the SC Technical College System.  The award of this grant will help the System along with our partners deliver this accessibility to the most rural areas of the state,” said Dr Barry Russell, president of the SC Technical College System.  Improved access to Broadband will provide significant competitive advantages for South Carolina’s economic development in this information-based society.

The SC REACH FOR SUCCESS colleges and partners, will work together to implement a three-pronged approach to expanding broadband access and use in South Carolina:

· A statewide network of Public Computer Centers (PCCs). Partner Colleges with service areas that include rural and underserved populations will open 19 new and 51 existing PCCs to the general public.

· Increased bandwidth and expanded access for credit and continuing education students. Nearly a quarter of a million strong, the students of the SC Technical College System, many of whom are socially and economically disadvantaged, are a key target population for this project.

· Public awareness campaign and training opportunities. The SC REACH FOR SUCCESS public awareness campaign will include a variety of radio and print marketing tools. Project staff will develop and offer in-person workshops and online training opportunities. Project partners will assist in disseminating information to target populations. 

“We are excited to be selected for this very competitive grant and we appreciate the extraordinary teamwork exhibited by all of the colleges in the SC Technical College System. This award will have a tremendous impact on the ability of our technical colleges to be able to expand computer and Internet access as well as related education and training to more of the communities they serve, especially in the rural areas of South Carolina. In these challenging economic times, people who don’t have a computer at home could use these Public Computer Centers for resume creation and other job search and employment activities,” said Khushru Tata, chief information officer for the SC Technical College System.  “We are also honored that the NTIA considers technical colleges as key participants in this category.  It is nice to see what we believe to be a best-in-class approach receive recognition from others.”

The SC Technical College System is the state’s largest higher education system, with 114,000 degree-seeking students and 128,000 continuing education students. Of these students, almost half receive federal Pell Grant assistance and 37 percent are minorities.

The Recovery Act appropriated $7.2 billion and directed the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) to expand broadband access to rural communities across the U.S., increase jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits. 

As a result, the RUS Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the NTIA Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) were developed.  BIP will make loans and grants for broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas. BTOP will provide grants to fund broadband infrastructure, public computer centers and sustainable broadband adoption projects.

SC Technical College System

The SC Technical College System is comprised of 16 technical colleges located strategically across the state and its statewide affiliate programs: the Center for Accelerated Technology Training’s readySC™ program, Apprenticeship Carolina™ and QuickJobs Carolina™. The System is committed to helping increase the employability of all South Carolinians by ensuring they are fully prepared for the careers of today – and tomorrow. As the largest higher education system in the state, the System provides its students with a comprehensive education as well as a fast track to a rewarding career. In addition, the System’s nationally-recognized affiliate programs, designed to train or re-train employees so that companies new to South Carolina and existing businesses alike can continue to prosper and grow, help spur job growth and economic development opportunities across the state. The SC Technical College System prepares students of all ages for real work today while demonstrating a commitment to increasing the employability of all South Carolinians and ultimately enhancing the quality of life for all.