Ozarks Tech Community College

The Ozarks Technical Community College will provide a laptop and hotspot lending program through its Hamra Library to students who need access to library resources or to complete their coursework. Students have limited access to computers and internet needed to complete their course work, which was exasperated during the COVID-19 crisis.  Many of its students are either low-income or live in rural areas of the service district, making it hard to finish the semester without access to on-campus technology resources. The EagleTech Lending Program will maintain a supply of 20 laptops and 10 Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the two-year pilot program. Last spring, the college converted all of its instruction materials to digital so they can be accessed online. Student feedback will guide program adjustments to better meet student needs. The program anticipates serving 200 students annually through laptop loans and 100 students annually through Wi-Fi hotspot loans, increasing utilization of library and online student resources and overall student satisfaction.