Florida A & M University is using a $50,000 grant to buy more than 60 laptops for students who need one. The college was one of five historically black universities to be granted money from Vanguard, an investment advising firm.
FAMU's Shawnte Friday-Stroud says after switching to remote learning amid the pandemic, students didn't have access to computer labs, which led the university to realize that many students needed personal laptops to support the software teachers use.
"When we moved to remote instruction, we had several—you know many students who left town, and so they could not come check out a laptop, so our first priority was sending laptops to those students' homes," Friday-Stroud says.
The university estimates up to 500 students might need laptops for remote learning. Students have to demonstrate to faculty members or their dean that they need a computer. Then, the dean submits a request, which is vetted before a device is bought.
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