“Laptop or beer?” should never be a decision that a student has to make. According to a story in the Chicago Tribune many higher education institutions (i.e. Northern Michigan University, Indiana State, Wake Forest, and New Jersey’s Seton Hall) are now requiring laptops for incoming freshman. While not surprising, the interesting wrinkle in this story is that requiring a student to buy a notebook computer makes the sometimes expensive hardware eligible for financial aid. “By making laptops part of the tuition and fees requirements, we can offer financial aid for them. We couldn’t do that if they were optional,” he said.

“Laptop or beer?” should never be a decision that a student has to make. According to a story in the Chicago Tribune many higher education institutions (i.e. Northern Michigan University, Indiana State, Wake Forest, and New Jersey’s Seton Hall) are now requiring laptops for incoming freshman. While not surprising, the interesting wrinkle in this story is that requiring a student to buy a notebook computer makes the sometimes expensive hardware eligible for financial aid. “By making laptops part of the tuition and fees requirements, we can offer financial aid for them. We couldn’t do that if they were optional,” he said.