Laptops For Bradley University Students: Who Gets Them?

Bradley University does not provide laptops to students. However, it does have specific recommendations and requirements for students who wish to purchase their own laptops. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Communications and Fine Arts, and the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology all recommend that students have laptops to complete their coursework. The Division of Information Technology at Bradley University provides a list of minimum specifications for laptops, and students can also avail of educational discounts on hardware and software. Laptops are available for checkout for students to use within the library building.

Students can borrow laptops from the library for four hours

Bradley University does not provide laptops to its students. However, the university has a few options for students who do not have their own laptops.

In addition to the laptop borrowing service, the library also has Windows and Apple desktops available for students to use. The library provides a range of other services, including printing, scanning, and computer labs with all the necessary course software.

It is important to note that most students at Bradley University bring their own laptops to campus. The university provides recommendations for laptop specifications to ensure that students have the necessary technology to complete their coursework.

Students can buy laptops at discounted prices

Students at Bradley University are not given laptops by the university. However, many academic programs recommend or require that students have a laptop to complete their coursework. Students are responsible for purchasing their own laptops, but there are several ways in which Bradley University facilitates this process and makes it more affordable.

Firstly, the university provides detailed laptop recommendations for each college and department, specifying the minimum specifications required. This includes information on the preferred operating system, processor, storage capacity, and additional features such as a working webcam and microphone. Students can refer to these recommendations to make informed decisions about their laptop purchases.

Secondly, Bradley University has partnered with Dell, Apple, and ThinkEDU to offer educational discounts on laptop purchases. Students can take advantage of these partnerships to buy laptops at discounted prices. The university also recommends shopping around for educational pricing from other retailers, as significant discounts are often available for students.

In addition to discounted prices, students can also benefit from the university's recommendation to purchase extended warranties for their laptops. This provides added protection in case of accidental damage. Students can also consider adding a rider to their parents' homeowners' insurance policy for further coverage.

It is worth noting that while a brand-new laptop is not required, students with older or less powerful laptops may need to upgrade to a newer model during their time at Bradley University. To assist with the financial burden, the university allows the expense incurred to purchase required technology to be added to the student's total cost of attendance or used to increase private or PLUS loan amounts.

In summary, while Bradley University students are responsible for purchasing their own laptops, the university provides extensive support and resources to make this process more accessible and affordable. Through educational discounts, detailed recommendations, and financial considerations, students can buy laptops at discounted prices and ensure they have the necessary technology to complete their coursework.

Students must meet minimum laptop specifications

While Bradley University does not provide laptops to students, many academic programs recommend or require that students have one. Students can borrow laptops for use within the library building, but these must remain in the library. Students are expected to meet the minimum laptop specifications of their college or department.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recommends that all students have a laptop to complete their coursework. From the 2022-2023 academic year, this became a requirement. The minimum specifications are:

• Dell Inspiron 5000 Series (or equivalent of another brand)
• Operating System: Windows 10 (with latest updates applied)
• Processor: 9th generation Core i5
• Storage capacity: 500GB hard drive (solid state drive)
• Working webcam and microphone
• Compatible with Microsoft Office 2019 with latest updates (Student access to MS office may be arranged through Bradley)

The College also provides a list of recommendations for those who wish to invest more, including upgrading to 16GB of RAM, a newer processor with more cores and/or faster speeds, and a larger SSD for additional storage.

Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts

All students at the Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts are required to have a laptop to complete their coursework. The minimum specifications are:

• Computer made within the past 3 years
• 256GB SSD (Solid State Drive) (more space is preferable)
• 8GB RAM (16GB RAM is preferable)
• Able to run the current version of Mac OS or Windows

The College also provides specific laptop requirements by department and major. For example, students of Animation are recommended to have a MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage.

Other Colleges

The following colleges also provide recommendations and requirements for student laptops:

• Foster College of Business
• Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology
• Department of Nursing
• Educational Health Sciences

Financial Support

The expense incurred to purchase required technology may be added to a student’s total cost of attendance with proper documentation. Contact the Bradley University Financial Assistance office for further information.

Students can add technology expenses to their total cost of attendance

While Bradley University does not provide laptops to its students, it does offer detailed recommendations for students who are purchasing their own laptops. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Communications and Fine Arts, and the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology all recommend that students have a laptop to complete their coursework. In addition, the Division of Information Technology provides a list of minimum specifications for laptops to function effectively on the university network.

Students who do not bring a laptop to campus can access computers in the public lab in the Cullom-Davis Library. Laptops are also available for four-hour checkout for use within the library building. The library also has a number of computers located in the Computer Lab near the Service Desk that are set up for student use.

Students who are purchasing a laptop are advised to consider the specific requirements of their major, as some departments have different recommendations for hardware and software. For example, students in the Department of Interactive Media and the Department of Art & Design will need Adobe Creative Cloud for all of their courses, while students in the College of Engineering and Technology are advised that PC/Windows machines are highly preferred and recommended for Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Electrical and Computer Engineering majors.

The university also provides information on the financial considerations of purchasing a laptop. With purchase receipts, the expense incurred to purchase required technology may be used to increase private or PLUS loan amounts. In addition, with proper documentation, the expense incurred to purchase required technology may be added to a student's total cost of attendance. It is important to note that increases in the cost of attendance for required technology will not result in an increase in scholarship, grant, or work-study funding. Students can contact the Bradley University Financial Assistance office for further information.

Students can use Microsoft Office 365 for free

Bradley University provides Microsoft Office 365 to all its current students until they graduate. This includes web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Copilot, plus additional software and classroom tools. Students can also access Microsoft Office by checking out a laptop from the library for use within the building.

Students and teachers can get Microsoft Office 365 Education for free with a school email address. An Office 365 Education subscription provides access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Teams, plus other classroom tools. All you have to do is enter your school email address on the Office 365 Education page on Microsoft's website. In many cases, you'll be instantly granted access thanks to an automated verification process. If you attend an institution that needs to be verified, it might take up to a month to confirm your eligibility.

College students can also get Microsoft 365 Personal for $3 a month with a valid school email address, which is a significant discount compared to the standard $7 a month ($70 a year) price for non-students.

If you're not affiliated with an academic institution, you can still use Microsoft 365 without paying by using the online-only apps or taking advantage of a free trial. Anyone can get a one-month free trial of Microsoft 365. You'll need to enter a credit card number, and if you don't cancel before the month is up, you'll be charged $100 for a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family.

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