ARC grants eligible students free Chromebooks for the semester
Some students will be eligible to keep Chromebooks permanently
American River College and the Los Rios Community College District have provided thousands of students with Chromebooks and internet access since March 2020. In spring of 2022, ARC is continuing to grant eligible students free Chromebooks to keep permanently in an effort to continue providing students with necessary resources for online learning. (Photo via Pixabay)
This spring, American River College is granting eligible students free Chromebooks to keep permanently in an effort to continue providing students with necessary resources for the semester. Students not eligible for a granted Chromebook will still have access to loaners in the ARC library.
According to Joshua Moon-Johnson, ARC’s dean of student services, students will receive a message through eServices letting them know if they are eligible. From there, they will be directed to fill out an application and be notified once they are approved to receive their free Chromebook.
“If someone is approved through the granted process, [an eServices message], they keep them and do not need to return them,” Moon-Johnson said.
A student is eligible to receive a free Chromebook if they are Promise Eligible based on their financial aid information or if they applied for the California Dream Act. They must also be enrolled in at least six units, Moon-Johnson said in an email to the Current.
“We want students to have the tools to be successful, so we have tried to do the best we could to support them,” Moon-Johnson said. “We are trying [our] best to help them succeed in pursuing their academic and career goals.”
There is no unit minimum or financial status that needs to be met if students would like to borrow a Chromebook from the library. However, students who have already received a free one will not be able to get a loaner as well.
As of now, ARC has enough Chromebooks to keep up with demand, Moon-Johnson said.
“Students can visit the library to check one out,” Moon-Johnson said. “They can borrow it as long as they are an ARC student while supplies last.”
According to Moon-Johnson, ARC and Los Rios Community College District have provided thousands of students with Chromebooks and internet support since March 2020.
“When ARC and the [LRCCD] moved courses to online, we knew students did not have access to the technology needed to complete their courses,” Moon-Johnson said. “We want students to have the tools to be successful.”
Students who believe they are eligible for a free Chromebook or have not received a message via eServices can contact Nicole Moise at [email protected].
