Online Colleges That Offer Free Laptops (2026)

Yes. Some online colleges offer a free or included laptop in 2026, but “free” almost always has rules. University of Arkansas Grantham and Rasmussen University may give you a Lenovo you can keep if you meet their terms, and Full Sail University includes a laptop and tools in tuition. Other schools only lend a computer, such as ODUGlobal and SUNY Empire (Empire is only for students who started before spring 2025). Many campus laptop programs do not include online-only students, so check whether you keep the laptop or must return it before you decide.

Last updated: September 25, 2026. We added SUNY Empire and Valley City State. We also noted that Seton Hall and Seton Hill are different schools. Normandale requires you to pick up a laptop on campus.

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Disclosure: This page may mention laptop programs. A school on this list does not promise you a free laptop. Who qualifies, and whether you keep the laptop, can change each term. Check each school’s official page. Some school matches may be paid placements.

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What does a “free laptop” from an online college usually mean?

Answer: It usually means one of three things. It does not mean a $0 checkout at a store.

• You can keep it: The school sends a laptop. You keep it if you stay enrolled and finish the early terms. If you leave early, you may have to return it or pay for it. Examples: UA Grantham and Rasmussen.
• It is included in tuition: The laptop and main software are part of what you already pay for school. Example: Full Sail Project LaunchBox.
• You borrow it: You use a school laptop for a term or while you are enrolled. Then you return it. Examples: ODUGlobal and SUNY Empire.

Which online colleges offer free or included laptops?

Answer: Start with schools that publish a laptop program for online students. Skip campus programs for new on-campus students unless you will take classes on campus.

Online laptop programs (2026)

School	How it works	Who keeps it?	Online fit
University of Arkansas Grantham	Lenovo Windows laptop for eligible associate, bachelor’s, and master’s students. You order it after classes start.	You keep it if you finish the first two terms. If you leave early, you may return it or pay about $450.	Yes. This program is for online degree students.
Rasmussen University	You must sign up for a Lenovo V14. It is for listed Business, Education, Health Sciences, Justice Studies, and Nursing starts. Start dates matter. The cost may show up in your financial aid offer.	You keep it after at least three terms, if you signed the agreement. If not, you return it to Microtek.	Yes for eligible programs. Check your major and start date.
Full Sail University	Project LaunchBox: a laptop and media tools for your program. The cost is included in tuition.	The package is part of your degree. Specs can change. Some items arrive later.	Yes for programs that include LaunchBox. Look at the full tuition cost.
ODUGlobal (Old Dominion)	A laptop loan for eligible ODU Global undergraduates who show financial need. Only a limited number of laptops.	You return it at the end of the term. You may not be able to renew it.	Yes. This is for ODU Global online undergraduates.
SUNY Empire State University	A Windows laptop sent to degree-seeking students. Students with financial need come first.	You return it. It is a loan while you are enrolled. The school checks each term.	Yes, it is an online university. Right now it is only for students who enrolled before spring 2025.
Valley City State University	Laptop program. Distance students may ask for a VCSU laptop. Technology-fee rules apply.	Follow the school’s program rules. Some distance students pay no extra fee.	Partial. Ask the Technology Service Desk before you enroll.
Strayer University	The course catalog says some students may get a bookstore laptop voucher (store credit up to a set amount). This is not the old “free laptop after three terms” offer. Those old pages no longer work.	Follow the voucher rules. Ask your Coach if you qualify.	Possible help through aid or a voucher. Check with Strayer before you enroll.

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University of Arkansas Grantham

Answer: New or returning students in an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s program may get a Lenovo Windows laptop at no extra cost after classes start.

• Device: A Lenovo laptop (Windows 11). Published specs often include a 15.6-inch screen, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of storage. You also get Microsoft 365 through the student portal.
• Who qualifies: Degree programs only. Certificate and non-degree programs do not qualify. You need a street address in the lower 48 U.S. states (not a P.O. box). Students on a full scholarship may not qualify.
• When it arrives: Order instructions usually come by email in week two. Delivery often takes 1–2 weeks. You still need a working computer on day one.
• Keep or return: Finish the first two terms with letter grades to keep the laptop. If you leave earlier, you may return it or pay about $450.
• Check the source: UA Grantham laptop offer

Rasmussen University

Answer: Rasmussen offers a new Lenovo laptop if you enroll in a listed program, sign up on time, and sign the laptop agreement. The school says the laptop cost may be included in your financial aid offer. Treat it as a school benefit with rules, not a free store purchase.

• Device: A Lenovo V14 (AMD Ryzen 5 on the current admissions page). Office apps and course tools are already installed.
• Who qualifies: Selected Business, Education, Health Sciences, Justice Studies, and Nursing programs—not every major. The current page is for starts by October 5, 2026. You must sign up and sign the agreement by the deadline for your term.
• Keep or return: Finish at least three terms, or return the laptop to Microtek within two weeks after you leave.
• Check the source: Rasmussen laptop program

Full Sail University

Answer: Full Sail’s Project LaunchBox is different for each degree. It includes a laptop and tools for media work. The school says the computer and software cost is included in tuition. It is not a separate free-laptop sale.

• What you get: It depends on your major. Digital Cinematography kits can include a camera and editing tools. Music Production can include audio gear. 3D arts programs can add a drawing tablet. Game Design can include software access. Specs and parts can change.
• Timing: Some LaunchBox items arrive in the second year. Some items are downloads.
• Cost: Look at the full program cost. Financial aid may cover tuition that already includes the tech package.
• Check the source: Take Off with Project LaunchBox and your program page on fullsail.edu.

ODUGlobal (Old Dominion University)

Answer: ODUGlobal lends laptops to eligible online undergraduates. Students who show financial need come first. You must return the laptop at the end of the term.

• Device: A limited number of Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 laptops, when they are available.
• Who qualifies: ODU Global undergraduate degree students. You apply and sign a loan agreement. If laptops run out, you may have to wait. Students who file the FAFSA and show financial need come first.
• Check the source: ODUGlobal laptop loan program

SUNY Empire State University

Answer: Empire is mostly an online university. It sends laptop loans. Right now, only degree-seeking students who enrolled before spring 2025 qualify.

• Device: A Windows laptop sent to you. The university pays shipping both ways.
• Who qualifies: Degree-seeking students who enrolled before spring 2025. Students with financial need come first, including Pell Grant or New York state TAP aid, or lower family income. If you are a new student, ask whether the program has opened again.
• Keep or return: This is a loan while you are enrolled. Return it when you are done. It is not a gift you keep.
• Check the source: Empire laptop loan program

Valley City State University

Answer: Full-time students on the Valley City campus get a MacBook or Windows laptop through VCSU’s laptop program. Online students are different. VCSU says qualified online students may ask for a laptop. Some pay no extra fee if they already pay a technology fee.

• Do not assume the school will automatically send a free laptop the way UA Grantham does. Call the Technology Service Desk at 701-845-7340 and ask about online eligibility and extra fees.
• Check the source: VCSU online and distance technical requirements and the Laptop Initiative page.

Strayer University

Answer: Do not trust older pages that promised a free laptop after three terms. Those pages no longer work. Strayer’s course catalog now says some students may qualify for a bookstore laptop voucher—store credit up to a set amount. Ask your Coach if you qualify.

• What changed: Starting April 2026, course materials move to a Resource Kit charge. Book vouchers for materials are ending. A laptop voucher for bookstore purchases is still described.
• Be careful: A voucher is not the same as a free laptop sent to your home that you keep. Ask your Coach about current rules before you plan your money around a laptop.
• Check the source: Strayer Book Voucher Program (catalog) and your Student Services Coach.

Which popular “free laptop” schools are not for online-only students?

Answer: Many schools on generic “free laptop” lists require classes on campus. That can help if you will study on campus. It is not the same as an online laptop offer.

• Moravian University: A MacBook Pro and iPad for full-time first-year and transfer undergraduates in mostly on-campus classes. For fall 2026, the entering class also gets an Apple Watch. Graduate students and online-only undergraduates do not qualify. Source: Moravian Apple technology.
• Dakota State University: A required laptop program for students taking at least six credits on campus. Official FAQs say online students are not in the program. Source: DSU laptop FAQs.
• Northwest Missouri State University: Textbook and laptop rental is for on-campus students. Northwest Online undergraduate and graduate programs are not included. Source: Northwest admissions laptop page.
• Seton Hall University: The Mobile Computing Program gives laptops to full-time undergraduates (forms plus a technology fee for early semesters). This is a campus program, not a free laptop for online students nationwide. Source: Seton Hall laptop distribution. Do not confuse this school with Seton Hill.
• Seton Hill University: Mobile Learning at the Hill gives MacBook Air laptops to traditional full-time undergraduate students, and to students in five listed graduate programs. It is not a free laptop for online students nationwide. Source: Mobile Learning at the Hill.
• University of Minnesota Crookston and many California State University loan programs: Strong campus laptop loans. Fully online students often do not qualify, or help is based on financial need and the current term.

What if my school does not give a free laptop?

Answer: You still have other options. They are different from a “free laptop college.”

• Financial aid refund: If your aid is more than tuition and fees, the extra money (sometimes including loans you must repay) can help you buy a computer that meets your program’s needs. See online schools that give refund checks and laptops.
• Student discounts (you buy your own): Purdue Global’s student experience page notes monthly sales in the Online Student Store. Those are discounts, not a free laptop sent to you. Purdue Global also expects you to bring a computer that meets its rules (see technology requirements). Enrolled students get Microsoft 365 through Campus. Do not mix this up with Purdue University IT technology discounts in West Lafayette. That is a different Purdue school than Purdue Global.
• Other school tech pages: Some schools publish fee answers or student pricing links (for example Liberty Online technology pages). You still buy the computer. Check the current student portal. Web addresses change often.
• Need-based grants and community-college pickup: Charter Oak State College’s Foundation Technology Grant can award up to $500 for eligible tech if you have financial hardship (Charter Oak Technology Grant). Normandale Community College has a free laptop program for enrolled students who show need. You must pick it up on campus at the Tutoring and Writing Centers. It is not mailed to online students anywhere. Source: Normandale Free Laptop Program.
• Scholarships: Programs like Dell Scholars have paired aid with a device for eligible high-school students. Check current rules. These are not open to every online adult learner.

How do you choose a laptop program without surprises?

1. Confirm the offer type — you keep it, it is included in tuition, or you borrow it and return it.
2. Match how you will attend — fully online, or a minimum number of classes on campus.
3. Check your degree and major — certificates and some scholarships are often left out.
4. Read the keep-or-return rules — if you leave early, you may have to return the laptop or pay for it.
5. Look at the full cost — a “free” Mac inside high tuition can still cost more than buying your own laptop at a lower-tuition school.
6. Get it in writing — ask admissions for the current laptop agreement for your start term.

Frequently asked questions

Do online colleges really give free laptops?

Some do. UA Grantham and Rasmussen may let you keep a laptop if you meet their terms. Full Sail includes a LaunchBox kit in tuition. ODUGlobal lends a laptop, and SUNY Empire lends one to some students who started before spring 2025. Many accredited online schools expect you to bring your own computer. They may only help with discounts, store credit, or leftover financial aid.

Which online schools offer free or included laptops in 2026?

Compare UA Grantham, Rasmussen, Full Sail, ODUGlobal, and Valley City State (online students must ask). Treat Strayer as possible store credit for a laptop, not the old free-laptop offer. SUNY Empire’s loan still helps some students who enrolled before spring 2025. Always check the school’s current page.

Can I keep the laptop after I graduate?

Only if the program lets you keep it and you met the written rules. Borrowed laptops go back to the school. Even a keep program can require you to return the laptop or pay for it if you leave early.

Can I get a free laptop with FAFSA?

The FAFSA does not automatically send you a laptop. Filing can unlock grants and loans. If your aid is more than your charges, the extra money may help you buy a computer. Some schools also give laptop loans first to students who file the FAFSA and show financial need.

Do Moravian or Dakota State give free laptops to online students?

Not under their main published programs. Moravian’s Apple package is for undergraduates who are mostly on campus. Dakota State’s FAQs say online students are not placed in the laptop program.

Is the FCC Affordable Connectivity Program still available?

No. The Affordable Connectivity Program ended for households on June 1, 2024. Do not plan your laptop budget around those discounts.

What laptop specs do online students usually need?

Follow the requirements on your program page. For general classes, a current Windows or Mac laptop is usually enough. You need reliable Wi-Fi, enough memory for a web browser and Office apps, and fast storage (an SSD). Creative, cybersecurity, and engineering majors may need a stronger graphics card and more memory. Check the program page.

Related guides

• Online schools that give refund checks and laptops
• Online colleges that offer laptops in California
• Online colleges that offer laptops in Texas
• Online colleges that offer laptops in New York
• Cheap online colleges that accept FAFSA
• Online colleges with open enrollment and no application fee

Sources and how we update this page

We check school claims on official laptop and admissions pages. Laptop programs change by term. We feature offers that online students can use, and we say when a program is for campus students only. Primary sources include UA Grantham’s laptop offer, Rasmussen’s laptop admissions page, Full Sail’s Project LaunchBox overview, ODUGlobal’s laptop loan program, SUNY Empire laptop loans, VCSU distance tech requirements, Strayer’s catalog voucher page, Moravian’s Apple technology page, Dakota State’s laptop FAQs, Northwest Missouri’s laptop page, Seton Hall Mobile Computing, and Seton Hill Mobile Learning.