When Olatunmbi Abolarin ’30 was admitted to Pomona, the financial aid package came as a relief to her and her family. But they still had concerns about how to pay for books, a laptop, plane tickets to and from Atlanta, and other expenses.
Cue the Technology Access Program (TAP), a pilot program created under Pomona’s strategic vision pillar of equity and access this fall that provided MacBook Airs to 247 of the 441 members of the first-year and new transfer classes.
“TAP puts reliable technology in students’ hands from day one,” says Joseph Brennan, assistant vice president, information technology finance & operations. “A reliable laptop is now part of the basic academic toolkit.”
All first year and transfer students who received institutional grant aid from Pomona were eligible to receive a laptop, which is theirs to keep after they graduate. The devices came with essential academic software and four years of warranty and technical support—further bridging the digital divide.
“The initiative tries to give students as much of an equitable start to their education here,” says José Rodriguez, vice president and chief information officer.
While Abolarin figured she would have to find a campus job to save up for a computer, applying for jobs, she points out, also requires a computer.
“The laptop has been really, really helpful,” she says. “Sometimes I don’t even realize how helpful it is until I’m doing my work and I think, ‘Wow, this would be so much harder on a phone or on paper.’”
On Move-In Day for new students, several stations in Mudd-Blaisdell residence hall got students set up with their new devices. With more than half of the Class of 2030 receiving laptops, an efficient system had to be put in place to configure and distribute the 13-inch MacBook Airs for each student.
Volunteers from Information Technology Services and other departments came to campus that Saturday morning to help with distribution and set up.
“I was actually in need of a new computer, and the Mac works great,” says Lexi Mathis ’30, who arrived at Pomona from Durham, North Carolina. “It’s going to be used for so many more years, including post grad.”
The three-year pilot program, funded by an anonymous $1.1 million gift, complements the Access to Course Essentials (ACE) program, a new initiative which provides all Pomona students with course materials at no additional cost.
“One of the best surprises we received this summer was that Pomona would provide a new laptop,” says Erika Haub, who traveled from Shoreline, Washington, to drop off her son Elijah Haub ’30. “When all of his course materials were also provided, we were even more relieved.”
“The free course materials that went along with the laptop are super important for me to be here,” adds Elijah Haub.