During the COVID-19 pandemic, when students across the country transitioned from in-person to virtual learning, a vast digital divide quickly became apparent. In California, more than 109,000 lower-income college students lacked access to a device that would enable them to participate in distance learning, with more than 1,600 from UC Riverside alone, according to a fall 2020 study from The Education Trust-West.

Thanks to Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, Information Technology Solutions, or ITS, established the Loan2Learn program in spring 2020 to help address the technology needs of UCR students. To date, more than 2,000 students have borrowed devices including laptops, tablets, and hotspots, as well as software, to complete their coursework and stay in school.

“I have personally read many of the student applications for this program and am continually impressed by the resilience of our student body,” said Lily Barger, director of campus support services and a Loan2Learn donor. “Many of the students this program supports work full time while attending school, some have families to support, or are completely supporting themselves without parental involvement. There are a wide range of students who benefit from this program, and for many, this is the only way that they can access a dedicated computer to get their classwork done at home.”

As students returned to the classroom, the access issues that were amplified during the pandemic didn’t disappear, so Emily Candido, student technology coordinator with ITS, decided to continue Loan2Learn at UCR. The main goal is for the program to become a permanent offering — and ITS has turned to the Highlander community to help make that possible.

“Since the beginning of the program, we have seen a consistent need for technology amongst the students,” Candido said. “We recently have run out of the one-time funding granted under the circumstance of the global pandemic. While the pandemic lockdown is over, our students are still in need of this technology, that is why we have decided to turn to soliciting grants and donor funding from anyone willing to help our cause.”

With the help of donors, the department will be able to purchase additional tablets, chargers, and headsets. Additional support will mean warranties on existing devices can be extended and new laptops can be purchased, enabling ITS to assist even more UCR students. ITS hopes to raise $7,000 this Give Day to set the program on the path to sustainability.

“From the start of Loan2Learn, we have seen how many students have had trouble securing technology, which is an integral part of attending college,” Candido said. “The goal of this program is to ensure our students have access to stable technology, so that they can focus on studying and graduating from our university.”

Without Loan2Learn, hundreds of current students wouldn’t have reliable access to the laptops they need to complete their coursework.

“Before Loan2Learn, students had used our Laptop Anytime Kiosk service that lets you borrow a loaner laptop for 24 hours only,” Candido said. “With Loan2Learn, students can utilize either service and have more options that suit their needs. It has also helped our department with servicing a broader scope of our student body. Without this crucial program, there will be over 600 students who will need to find loaner laptops elsewhere, putting an overwhelming burden on the 24-hour kiosk rentals or crowding into the computer labs to use a public computer.”

During the pandemic and beyond, the program has made it possible for participants to maintain their enrollment at UCR.

"When my laptop stopped working in the middle of winter 2022, I was panicking, thinking I had to buy a new one,” said Michael Begishe ’23. “I was worried about how I would be able to purchase a laptop that I hadn't saved and prepared for yet. The Loan2Learn program has had the best, biggest, and most positive impact on my ability to study at UCR and graduate. This program has allowed me to not worry about my finances and focus on my studies instead.”

Student beneficiaries are now Loan2Learn’s greatest champions.

“It is a program that caters to every student regardless of their background or situation,” said fourth-year neuroscience major Dulce Ortiz. “It is also a great program that aids first-generation and low-income students like myself. It is a program that, although it seems small, does have a massive impact. Donor support will expand this program to contribute to many students’ success, as well as shining a light on students’ unique struggles and situations.”