Millions of Texans use the Internet for Education!

Contributor: John Walker, Research Analyst

As projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 17% increase in the number of entry-level positions requiring at least a bachelor’s degree between 2010 and 2020. This increase in the demand for education in the job market is a challenge for those already in the workforce without a college degree. However, education enabled by the Internet provides the option to earn a degree conveniently from home. The Texas Distance Learning Association is one of many organizations working to expand education beyond “brick-and-mortar” classrooms to distance learning opportunities and strategies for all Texans. 

The 2011 Connected Texas Residential Technology Assessment shows that half (50%) of all Internet users in the state take online classes or conduct research for schoolwork online. That translates into 7.4 million Texans around the state accessing these online learning tools. In addition, 18% of Texans, or approximately 1.4 million Texas adults, access these applications via their mobile phones. These opportunities are not limited to just adults, though. Texans under the age of 18 are also using the Internet for their schoolwork.

Parents from one-half (50%) of all Texas households with children say that their children are using the Internet for schoolwork at home. That represents approximately 4 million Texans whose children are benefitting from the educational opportunities presented by home Internet service. Plus, just over six out of ten households with children (61%) report that their kids use the Internet at school.

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