“SNAP” Offers Computers To Financially Strapped Freshmen

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The so-called "digital divide" between the "haves" -- those who can afford computer access -- and the "have nots" has been erased, at least in the freshman class at the University at Buffalo.

Thanks to the university's Students Needing Assistance Program (SNAP) and its corporate partners -- Dell Computer and IBM -- financial hardship simply is not an issue for 264 freshmen, at least where computers are concerned.

While other schools make financial aid available to needy students for computer purchases or lend them machines for a year or two, UB may be the only campus that gives new or nearly new computers to these students for free, for four years, as long as they remain financially eligible.

"To my knowledge, UB is the only school that is offering the financially challenged portion of their student population this type of program," said Ken Bash, major accounts manager for Dell Computer. "We feel this is a model program that can help light the way for other universities around the country who are facing the same challenges of integrating computing technology into their coursework and making that technology available to all levels of their student population."

According to Voldemar Innus, UB's chief information officer, the program could not have happened without the enthusiastic support of Dell and IBM.

"With our corporate partners, we were able to meet the needs of our student-access program for under $100,000, as opposed to the $600,000-plus that was originally envisioned," he said.

Steve Frodey, senior client representative for IBM Global Education, said: "UB's access program is a great step forward for students and we were very happy to support the SNAP program so everyone would benefit."

SNAP originated with creators of Access99, the university's program requiring that all freshman entering UB in Fall 1999 have access to a computer.

"If faculty members wanted their students to use computers -- and that premise was the basis of the program -- and 10 percent of their students can't afford them, we knew, that as a public institution, we had to find a way to help that 10 percent," said Joseph Tufariello, Ph.D., former senior vice provost for educational technology and Access99 coordinator. "We had to find a way to level the playing field."

UB's initial attempt had involved an effort to get used computers from local corporations that were upgrading their systems. But while some corporations were very enthusiastic, it proved too difficult to find enough donated machines that met UB's specifications, based on the hardware and software freshman courses required.

Under the direction of Martha A. Barton, UB associate vice provost for educational technology, a committee was established to develop a cost-effective way to obtain nearly new computers for the neediest students, defined as those whose family contribution to tuition costs was expected to be zero.

In just a few months, the university was able to strike deals with each of the corporations, under which they would provide UB with one- or two-year-old computers just coming off of leases.

For students like Laura Andre, a prospective English/management major, news of their eligibility for SNAP came as a big relief.

"I didn't know what I was going to do about a computer," she said. "I knew I couldn't afford one and I knew my mom couldn't buy me one. So the news about this program was definitely a plus. Now that I have it, I'm on it all the time."

Kennedy Taveras, a freshman and New York City native, was thrilled when he found out that UB was lending him a computer for free that he could keep during his career at the university.

"I was, like -- wow -- I can't believe it, this is great," he said.

A future biological-sciences major, Taveras has been able to do his homework on his computer, practically from the day he set foot on campus.

UB officials are negotiating with Dell and IBM to extend SNAP to the next class of freshmen entering in Fall of 2000.