First, students can buy the machines themselves through Student Stores on campus. Third, the university plans to beef up its financial aid budget to provide needy students with additional grant assistance to help cover the cost of the laptops. Since the laptops will be a condition of admission, more students could qualify for need-based aid. Ort said she did not expect the laptop requirement to drive up aid applicant numbers significantly. Technology officials, however, plan to budget enough need-based grant assistance to cover 40 percent of the entering freshmen in 2000.
All students deserve an equal opportunity to own a laptop computer.
At the same time, we are protecting the interests of all students and the university by setting appropriate computing standards that are consistent with the substantial investments now being made to improve infrastructure and provide better technical support. UNC-CH's approach differs from mandatory computer rules at other public and private schools, Moore said. Some universities have levied tuition hikes or leased equipment. Others have issued computer specifications, but left it up to students to look for bargains without university efforts to make the purchases affordable. At this point, UNC-CH officials are not sure about the final price of laptops offered by the school in 2000 until a hardware contract is finalized with a vendor.