As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, my Department has allocated €15 million to higher and further education providers for a once-off COVID-19 grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices.
This initiative addresses concerns regarding the digital divide in the context of the shift to online and blended models of learning as a result of COVID-19 and the importance of supporting disadvantaged students to adapt to these new models.
Devices procured using the grant are being distributed by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to disadvantaged students via appropriate lending schemes. Almost 16,700 laptops have been procured and shipped as part of a bulk order organised by HEAnet, while additional devices are being procured by some providers directly.
The total amount drawn down to date by the HEA and SOLAS for onward transmission to eligible HEIs and ETBs is €14,964,500.