Best Online Colleges Provide Free Laptops to Students in 2025

Published: 11 May 2025

Because of technological development, the educational environment has become more accessible and convenient than before. Many colleges have utilized technology in teaching by changing the teaching mode from offline to online, and they will freely support laptops for students. This will attract more students applying for these schools and ensure everyone can access online courses equally. We have studied hundreds of schools carefully and screened into several online colleges offering free laptops. Whether you are pursuing any major, our instruction will be helpful for your decision.

Diverse group of college students learning with laptops

HOW TO GET A FREE LAPTOP

Many universities are pushing the program that offers free laptops, and there are many ways to find one. These schools always facilitate their students as much as possible to receive laptops freely.

1. Apply and Enroll in a Course

Nowadays, online schools provide free laptops for learners when they enroll in a particular major, such as technology, engineering, media, etc. All the information about laptop programs is published on the schools’ social sites to inform students before enrolling, so they can check this news carefully to ensure the chance of owning a laptop.

2. Be Qualified for the Requirement of University

Many colleges will list several criteria for students, like a minimum GPA for each term, admission to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, and so on. These schools examine each standard restrictively to choose the worthy members. There will be only a few slots, so the competition to get a laptop will be very hard.

3. Study in Continuous Term

After studying for a particular period—one semester, one year, or so on—online schools support students by giving them a laptop. It seems to be a gift for students after learning a long time and a motivation to encourage them to keep studying.

4. Scholarship

Several types of scholarships will be organized by schools or even private companies after enrollment. Maybe one will be for a laptop. This prize will belong to the best students, so it mostly has a few seats.

List Of Online Colleges Providing Free Laptop

Many online colleges in the U.S. now offer free laptops to support students with remote learning. Below is a list of reputable institutions that provide laptops to online students through scholarships or device programs.

1. Dakota State University

Dakota State University is located in the ancestral territory of Oceti Sakowin, an alliance of the Isantim, Ihanktunwan, and Titunwan, who always support technology to the fullest extent possible for students. In the fall, DSU provides full-time first-year students with a new laptop, particularly the latest Dell Latitude 7440 – a 2-in-1 laptop configured specifically for DSU academic programs to deliver an excellent educational environment and make their classrooms more exciting and interactive.

2. Western Governors University

Western Governors University is an online school with many majors, such as business, IT, and education. This school provides a laptop Dell Latitude 3410 freely to students through its scholarship programs. Students have to apply for admission and submit a scholarship application. If they are awarded the program, the laptop will be offered as part of the scholarship package.

3. Saint Leo University

Sain Leo University is one of the top-ranked universities in Florida, and it has a rich history of providing students with many fields like business, art, and criminal justice. They offer a study program for both undergraduate and graduate students. After enrolling in degree programs, online students will be provided a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 and will be eligible for a free laptop.

4. University of Minnesota Crookston

Minnesota University is a public university with various campuses; its mission is to share knowledge through education for a diverse community. There are many subjects that students can pursue in this school, like: Agricultural, Accounting, Health, Communication,….and they issue laptops to all on-campus students. A new HP Elitebook x360 1040-G8 Laptop will belong to students who apply to the University of Minnesota as an encouragement to motivate them to study.

5. Seton Hill University

Located in southwestern Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, Seton Hill University is a leading Catholic coeducational liberal arts university. This university offers more than 80 undergraduate programs, and all participants will be issued a MacBook Air before the start of the Fall semester. After completing the required form and clearly understanding the policy’s program, eligible students will receive a laptop to serve their learning purposes.

6. Chatham University

Chatham University is one of the top two universities in Pittsburgh. It is famous for its Natural Sciences major and attracts thousands of students. Its laptop program is also very eager. Chatham University offers MacBook Air to all incoming first-year students who are eligible; otherwise, it will offer financial assistance to qualified students.

7. Stevens Henager College

Steven Henager College is an intensely career-focused private non-profit degree-granting university. It offers diverse majors for students, such as art, health care, technology, business, etc. To facilitate students’ having enough equipment for studying, this school provides laptops to all undergraduate students, especially for students in the Graphic Art major, who will receive a MacBook from Steven Henager College.

List Of Online Colleges Providing Free Laptop

Name of schools	Type of laptop	Requirement
Dakota State University	Dell Latitude 7440	Full time first-year students
Western Governors University	Dell Latitude 3410	Eligible students
Independence University	Lenovo ThinkPad E15	All students
Moravian University	Macbook Pro, Ipad	All first-year students
Saint Leo University	Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5	All students
University of Minnesota, Crookston	HP Elitebook 740 G6	Part of some students’ financial aid package
Seton Hill University	Macbook Air	All full-time undergraduate students
Chatham University	Macbook Air	All first-year student
Stevens Henager College	Macboook	Undergraduate school in the School of Graphic Art

Other Programs

Aside from the free laptop program, many schools also offer programs that help students buy a laptop at an affordable price through cooperation with laptop brands. This is a win-win cooperation: while universities can utilize this program to attract more students, computer companies can market their products through schools to this potential customer group.

1. Loaner program

Students who need a laptop to serve their studying purpose but do not have access to technology can apply for a loaner program at the university. This program allows students to borrow the laptop from school to study remotely, so it ensures all students have a device to attend online classes. Besides, the loaner laptop program also helps students learning more, even outside of class, they can be more active in studying and further research in any field they want.

As usual, most schools allow students to borrow laptops or computers from the library or campus; this equipment equips a large number of technology devices to serve all the demands of undergraduates, but they will have a time limit for using them to increase the efficiency of study in a regulated time. Here are several colleges that offer a loaner laptop program:

List Of Online Colleges Providing Loaner Laptop Program

Name of Schools	Type of Laptop	Requirement
Alabama State University	Macbook	College of Business and Administration students
California State University	Macbook	Students with demonstrated financial need
San Diego State University	Dell / Macbook	All students
Saint Leo University	Macbook	All students

2. Discounted program

Another engaging program is discounting, colleges will collaborate with computer companies to deal with them and offer a discount for students to buy at a special price. This program is attractive for students, they need to bring their student card to the computer store, which is coordinated with their school, and choose their favourite laptop. The consultant will inform them about the current discount program, and students will have a lower price to buy. You can refer to several schools that give a discounted laptop program for students:

List Of Online Colleges Providing Discounted Laptop Program

Name of Schools	Type of Laptop	Requirement
Drexel University	Dell/ Apple	All students
Southern Nazarene University	Dell	All undergraduates
St. John’s University	Lenovo / Apple	All students
Stony Brook University	Dell	All students
Ohio State University	Dell	All students
University of California	Apple	All continuing and professional education students
University of Central Floria	Apple	All students

Benefits of Free Laptop Programs

Below are some key benefits that show how these programs support student success in the digital age.

1. Enhance learning opportunities

In the technology environment, laptops are vital in students’ approach to many learning opportunities. Students can access a valuable knowledge resource. There are many online courses, including diverse subjects and majors, so students can choose whatever they want to study. Besides, on social platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and others, students can look for many teachers outside of school who post their teaching videos on these sites to expand their horizons.

Laptops also help students store a large number of documents without notebooks. They can type, take pictures, record, and save them in a particular document so they can open it and study wherever. It is more convenient and portable than writing everything in the handbook.

2. Motivate student

When an online school offers a free laptop for students and sets some requirements for them to get a laptop, such as a minimum GPA, scholarship, minimum credits, it will inspire students to study harder and harder until they reach qualification. Therefore, it will lead to student improvement; they will become better and well-rounded. This program tends to be more competitive than others, especially for scholarships, because there are only a few seats for deserving students. Students must try their best to achieve the highest possible score to show that they deserve this prize.

3. Develop technology skills

Technology skills have become one of the most important skills for students in recent days. Due to the usefulness of laptops, people will become backward if they do not adapt to the improvement of technology. The act of providing a free laptop for students will facilitate their development of technology. Students can use the laptop given by the school to train their typing skills, research skills, office skills, and so on; these are not only helpful during the studying period but also required after graduation and starting to work.

4. Facilitate group work

In most schools, especially universities, teachers always assign group exercises to students to help them improve their teamwork skills, which are crucial for most work. However, not all students can gather and discuss in a particular place, so a laptop can solve this issue. They just need to organize an online meeting and share the link with everyone. It helps them argue even from a far distance.

5. Cost saving

A laptop is not a cheap item. If students seriously want to invest in a laptop to serve their studying purposes, they will have to spend a large amount of money on a high-quality laptop. Hence, many families can not afford it because of their economic condition, so universities that offer free laptops are the ideal choices for students to save money.

How to Test a Laptop For Studying Purposes

Before buying a laptop for your studies, it’s important to test a few key features to make sure it meets your academic needs. Below are the main things to check to ensure your laptop supports your learning effectively.

1. Build quality

The build quality of a laptop includes the top cover, the bottom cover, and the hinge. All these parts need to be designed perfectly because they illustrate the durability of a laptop. Different materials make the cover, such as Aluminum, Magnesium, Carbon, Plastic, etc. As usual, plastic or aluminum is preferred for basic laptops because it is lighter and cheaper. However, several premium laptop models are made of carbon and are more durable and luxurious.

The hinge also needs to be checked carefully because it connects two sides of the laptop. This part is affected once you open the laptop, and it will be easy to break after a long time of use. Most people do not care much about this part, but it seems to be the most important piece of a laptop, so please test the hinge cautiously to ensure the laptop folds up and down normally.

2. Detailed Specs

Many majors related to technology require a laptop that has cutting-edge specs to perform best during studying, such as Information Technology, Computer Science, etc. Students in these fields need to research the CPU, GPU, RAM, and ROM of the laptop because they tend to perform multitasking on laptops for a long time, so a high-end laptop with the latest accessory model will be suitable for them.

Different from technology, designing majors such as Graphics Design, Digital Arts, and Photography will concern themselves with display quality. A screen that can show vividly, vibrantly, images and clearly illustrate each movement is an ideal choice for students studying in graphic fields. Other majors do not require a laptop with excellent specs to perform; students just need a basic laptop to study. These students have a variety of choices, and depending on their personal demands, they can choose their appropriate laptop.

3. Battery life

Nowadays, the curriculum in most schools often starts at 7:00 A.M and ends at 5:00 P.M. It is a long time and requires a laptop to be able to operate continuously. Typically, a laptop with a good battery can be used for 6-7 continuous hours without charging; in many cases, it is better, as it helps students study without interruption. Hence, although students do not need to worry about battery quality, if they want a long-lasting experience, they can also research the types of batteries, such as Li-ion, LiPo, NiCd, etc., to understand each type and choose a proper battery.

4. Connection port

Before deciding to buy a laptop, students must check the connection port because they will use this part often during studying time. A connection port allows a laptop to connect with other separate devices like a projector or headphones, or it even helps transfer documents between other laptops. In the studying environment, especially in a university, students often have to do assignments and present them online, so the connection port helps student show their work to everyone. Besides, when students study online, feedback may be annoying them, so they can connect headphones with a laptop through a port to be more focused on the lecture.

When will the student receive the laptop?

The detailed time when students receive a laptop from each university is that they will distribute laptops after enrollment, the first week of study, or after completing tuition. These are direct ways of receiving. In addition, many schools ask students for their addresses so that they can deliver the laptop straight to their houses. It is more convenient than coming to school, and many online colleges have used this method.

Is the cost included in tuition?

In many online colleges that provide laptops to students, they may offer truly free and without extra charge, they use this program to attract more learners so that they will organize many interesting programs, many scholarships, including a free laptop, to encourage students to enroll. However, several online universities bundle the cost of a laptop into a part of the tuition fee, so the tuition fee will be raised a bit higher to deduct for the laptop cost.

Are the laptops free to keep or returned after graduation?

The decision to keep or return a laptop also depends on the particular laptop program of each school; each college can set its own policy, and if students meet all requirements, they can keep the laptop freely after graduation. If the laptop cost is included in the tuition, students also have the right to hold the laptop because they already paid for it. However, students may have to return their laptops after graduation or withdraw if they receive them freely, or online schools that require laptops may require them to return them.

Conclusion

USA schools always facilitate students to reach the best practical study, particularly by providing learning appliances like laptops. Different online universities will have various programs to support students, including free laptops, loaners, or discounted programs. The laptop is a beneficial equipment for learners nowadays because its multi-function allows students to study and broaden their knowledge. This is an ideal choice for students and everyone who still wants to pursue a path of study. We have researched hundreds of universities and picked the schools that offer laptops according to each program, hoping that this article will be helpful in your decision to study. If you want to know the best online colleges that provide laptops, we are the place to inform you about the top online schools offering laptops.