UNCG Drops Laptop Requirement

Officials with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro began requiring every student have a laptop in 2005 but said the school can no longer afford to provide grant money to students who can’t afford one. Often referred to as a lifeline or even at times a lifesaver, the laptop has become a staple for today's college student. “Especially us students that run around and we're on the go, having a laptop is like a part of life. It's like your cell phone because you're always having stuff to do, always having homework to do, papers to write,” UNCG student Yolonda Greenfield said. Officials said it costs the school hundreds of thousands of dollars to help students buy laptops. “Because they are no longer able to provide the grants, we will not be requiring that all students have a laptop, although some programs will require laptop ownership of their students," Gloria Thornton, associate vice chancellor for client services information technology services at UNCG, said. The University could save $700,000 a year by dropping the laptop requirement. Students said they understand why the university made the decision, but some said they would never go back to campus life without their laptop. “Having a laptop is a big advantage because it allows you to do homework on the run and be able to study on your own, find a quiet place if you need to," Spencer Jones said. Other technology services, like campus computer labs, did not get cut. Just this past summer the university invested in a campus-wide wireless upgrade to give students and faculty better service on their laptops.