Student Success
Student Success
For students without home internet, or without ready access to computers or tablets, online courses can be very challenging. On this page, we want to provide all the information that we have about places you might access wifi if you have a portable tablet or laptop.
For students enrolled in online classes, or faculty teaching classes, accessing internet is “essential.” Because some areas of Mississippi do not have internet access, some libraries and businesses have established wifi parking lots for people to visit safely to do their work. Internet companies have also provided lower-cost options for those in eligible areas to purchase internet. Both of these options are detailed below.
After considering these options and your situation, if you are facing significant obstacles to accessing the internet to complete your classes, please complete our Ask-An-Advisor form so that a professional advisor can speak with you about your circumstances. We would like to talk to you to find the best outcomes for your this semester given your unique situation. Each student is trying to navigate to the end of the semester through their own family, personal, academic, and financial context, and we want to assist and support you if we can.
Please review the information below, and let us know if you have questions.
If you have no wifi at home, many Mississippi libraries—even if they are closed inside to the public—are offering free wifi connections in their parking lots. You can check out a Google map of their locations here:
printable list of Mississippi libraries offering free wifi access
Also, numerous internet providers are currently offering free wifi hotspots across Mississippi and the United States, including the following:
Comcast XFinity Wifi Hotspots AT&T Wifi Hotspots
More carriers are adding free parking lot wifi every day, so check your local cellular stores for possible hotspots.
Some companies also offer lower cost internet service and/or computers for qualifying households with limited income, including Internet Essentials from Comcast and Access from AT&T.
For more information on companies that have made a commitment to providing internet services during the COVID-19 situation, visit the Keep Americans Connected website.