A limited amount of laptops and portable Wi-Fi hotspots will be available to to El Camino College (ECC) students on a first-come basis during the fall semester. With money from many funding entities such as the the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the college purchased 2,000 new laptops to help students in need during the pandemic.

To be eligible for the program, students need to have their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application submitted or The California Dream Act application as well as the Laptop Loan Program form completed.

Laptop supplies and hotspots are being offered on a first-come, first-serve basis starting Aug. 22 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m until supplies last at the ECC Schauerman Library.

ECC President Dena Maloney, among others, has stressed the need for accessible equipment to help foster success for low-income students. She mentions in a statement posted by ECC’s Marketing and Communications department that they are, “committed [to] ensuring student success.”

The Laptop Loan Program was made possible by the Student Equity and Achievement funding from the State of California and the El Camino College Foundation Emergency Fund, along with the CARES Act.

On the application, students can select from: a laptop only, a hotspot only or both. To apply to the Laptop Loan Program click here.