City of Glasgow College has invested £1.3m in 2,000 laptops for students

City of Glasgow College has invested £1.3m in 2,000 laptops for students to ensure remote teaching can be effectively delivered and to minimise any potential exclusion of students.  

The Student Laptop Loan Scheme is being offered to all students, with priority given to full-time students, those with additional support needs, and those from low-income families.  

A new section on the college’s website has been launched for students to register their interest in the scheme.   

Dr Claire Carney, Vice Principal for Student Experience at City of Glasgow College, said:  

“The distribution of these laptops is in addition to the several hundred we issued during the nationwide lockdown. Among the challenges we faced then was digital poverty and variable access to broadband. As one of the most digitally enabled colleges, it is vital we ensure our students have access to the required equipment to ensure students are best placed to progress their learning and to safeguard our blended learning approach.”  

Brandon Reeves, a first year Health, Fitness & Sports Performance student, said: “I was borrowing a laptop to do my online study but now I can access MyCity better, and I can participate in class more easily and not have to use my phone.”  

Ashley O’Farrell, who is studying HNC Hairdressing, added: “I’ve been doing work on my phone and I didn’t have WiFi. I’ll be able to see my work correctly on the larger screen now, and enjoy interacting with people more easily.”  

In total the college has invested in £1.3 million – a mix of college, government and Scottish Funding Council funding – for the laptops which have three specifications based on the software and performance requirements of specific courses.