Starting Fall 2024, WOU prioritizes Chromebook lending to students with exceptional financial need, as reported by WOU Office of Financial Aid to the Library. A Federal Pell Grant or Oregon Opportunity Grant award are the typical indicators of exceptional financial need.
In 2023, students told WOU administration how difficult it is to do academic work when they don't have a laptop. Since nearly all course content and student activity is now through Canvas, easily-available online access–through a screen larger than a mobile phone–is essential to student success. The library’s inventories of Chromebooks and iPads were gone soon after they opened to general student borrowing. Desktop computers found in campus labs can’t move with students as they travel between home, work, school, and “third places” such as libraries, cafes, parks, and other study spaces. WOU leaders understand that these barriers disproportionately impact students with the least financial resources. This Chromebook initiative improves access to the learning environment and encourages academic engagement and persistence.
Priority students have indicators of exceptional financial need and have priority access to Chromebooks. Loans are to the end of the current academic term, with loan extensions applied after course registration for next term.
Standard students do not have indicators of exceptional financial need and have basic access to Chromebooks after Priority needs are filled. Starting Week 3 of each term and subject to availability, loans are for two weeks with no renewals.
All Chromebook borrowing requests begin with this form (open Monday Sept. 23). Financial Aid staff analyzes the student’s level of need and assigns them to Priority or Standard status. If a student’s financial aid package hasn't been finalized, an assignment may take up to two business days. Alternatively, students may self-identify in this form as Standard status. If they know they do not qualify as Priority status, their request goes directly into the borrowing queue.
The borrowing queue includes a waitlist. Even when no Chromebooks are available, requests go to the waitlist and they provide WOU with demand-based data to justify additional purchases.
Students with Priority borrowing must return Chromebooks if they drop enrollment or at the end of Spring term, whichever comes first. A replacement charge ($400+) applies when a Chromebook is not returned promptly.
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