News Summary
A significant outage affecting Amazon Web Services (AWS) has disrupted access to the Canvas application, leaving college students nationwide struggling to complete assignments. The outage began on October 20, 2025, with many users reporting error messages and a lack of functionality. Institutions like Orange Coast College and Rutgers University have voiced concerns over the impact on academic performance. While AWS is working on recovery, the incident underscores the reliance on cloud services in education.
Los Angeles — College and university students across the nation are facing significant challenges in completing their assignments due to an outage affecting the Amazon Web Services (AWS), which supports the widely used Canvas application and website. This disruption began early on October 20, 2025, and has left many users unable to access crucial educational tools necessary for their studies.
The AWS health dashboard, which has been providing hourly updates since the outage began at 12:11 a.m., indicates that the situation stems from an issue with Instructure’s hosting provider impacting web services worldwide. As of now, there is no clear timeline for when Canvas will resume full functionality, although AWS continues to provide updates on their recovery efforts.
Students at Orange Coast College (OCC) have expressed frustration with the sudden disruption. Many worry that missed deadlines could negatively affect their academic standing. The college’s Information Technology Services (I.T.S.) issued a notification to staff and students regarding the ongoing issue. It’s important to note that other third-party tools connected to Canvas may also be impacted until the situation is fully resolved, contributing to the chaos surrounding assignments and assessments.
Since the outage began, users have reported encountering error messages like “502 Bad Gateway” and “Canvas failed to load.” AWS has identified that the problems originated within their EC2 internal network, which is crucial for their cloud services. At approximately 12:30 p.m. ET, representatives from Canvas confirmed that they are actively working with AWS to identify a solution for the outage, which was impacting numerous services and tools essential for educational institutions.
Students, such as Sarahi Gomez, an 18-year-old Diagnostic Medical Sonography major at OCC, are diligently preparing for careers in healthcare but are now hindered by the inability to access course materials. Another communications major, Shay Humphrey, highlighted that while she understands technological issues happen, the unpredictability could have serious ramifications for students’ grades and overall academic performance.
The impact of the AWS outage is not isolated to OCC; institutions across the country, including high schools and colleges in New Jersey, have reported similar challenges. For instance, Rutgers University noted disruptions along with its linked programs, including Kaltura and Respondus Monitor, which many educators depend on for video content and exam proctoring, respectively.
As the situation escalates, some students have turned to social media to express their concerns. Reports have also emerged that user-reported issues extend beyond educational tools, affecting popular services such as Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, Robinhood, and various streaming platforms including Netflix and Disney+. However, amidst the chaos, there have been mixed experiences, as some reported that services like Snapchat remained operational for them.
AWS has committed to recovering connectivity for most services and has indicated that fixes will be deployed once safety can be assured. As the situation unfolds, many educators and students remain hopeful for a swift resolution, as continued disruption would exacerbate the existing challenges they face in a technology-dependent learning environment.
Overall, the ongoing AWS outage has highlighted the critical role of cloud computing platforms in the operation of essential educational tools, leaving students and faculty alike to navigate the complications brought on by this unforeseen technical failure.
Weather conditions in Los Angeles remain partly cloudy with a high around 75F, while tonight’s temperatures are expected to drop to about 61F with light, variable winds.
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- Coast Report Online
- Wikipedia: Amazon Web Services
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- Google Search: Canvas LMS AWS outage
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- Google Scholar: Cloud computing in education
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- Encyclopedia Britannica: Cloud Computing
- Los Angeles Times Sports
- Google News: AWS outage impact on education
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The COSTA MESA STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERECostaMesa.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Costa Mesa, Orange County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the OC Fair, Concerts in the Park, and Fish Fry. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce and Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast, plus leading businesses in retail, fashion, and technology that power the local economy such as Vans, Experian, and South Coast Plaza. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAnaheim.com, HEREBeverlyHills.com, HERECoronado.com, HEREHollywood.com, HEREHuntingtonBeach.com, HERELongBeach.com, HERELosAngeles.com, HEREMissionViejo.com, HERESanDiego.com, and HERESantaAna.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into California's dynamic landscape.
