Guidelines for the Hardship Fund Laptop Loaner Program

Owned by Jennifer Easthope
Last updated: Mar 11, 2024 by Melanie Steider

1. Receiving a Laptop

a. Application

Students must first submit a Hardship Fund application. If approved, students will be required to agree to the guidelines and terms listed within this agreement and are also bound by the Acceptable Use Policy.

b. Student Distribution

Laptops will be distributed to approved students by a University staff member at Loke Hall at a designated date and time, only after the student accepts the terms of this agreement.

2. Returning the Chromebook

a. End of Semester

At the end of the semester in which a student received a loaner laptop:

  • Students are required to turn in their loaned laptop and charger to a staff member at Loke Hall no later than the last day of final exams.

  • Failure to turn in the loaned laptop and charger will result in the student being charged the full replacement cost of these items.

b. Transferring/Withdrawing Students

Students who transfer out of or withdraw from Valparaiso University must turn in their laptop and charger to a staff member at Loke Hall on their last day of attendance.

  • Failure to turn in the loaned laptop and charger will result in the student being charged the full replacement cost of these items. 

  • Unpaid fines and fees of students leaving Valparaiso University may be turned over to a collection agency.

3. Taking Care of the Laptop

Students are responsible for the general care of the laptop and charger they have been issued. Students with laptops that are broken or fail to work properly must take the device to the Help Desk (Christopher Center, lower level) as soon as possible. These laptops should never be taken to an outside computer service for any type of repairs or maintenance.

a. General Precautions

  • Laptops must remain free of any writing, drawing, stickers, and/or labels.

  • Heavy objects should never be placed on top of laptops.

  • Laptops should never be loaned to another student or individual.

  • Proper care, storage, and safekeeping is the responsibility of the student.

  • If a laptop and/or charger is damaged, lost, or stolen, the student may be responsible for the full replacement cost.

b. Property Tag

  • All laptops will be labeled with a Valparaiso University property tag.

  • These tags may not be modified or tampered with in any way.

  • Students may be charged up to the full laptop replacement cost for tampering with a tag or turning in a laptop without a tag.

c. Laptop Cases or Covers

  • Students may choose to purchase a protective case or cover for their laptop. This is at the student’s discretion if they want to further protect the laptop while under their use.

  • The student will not be reimbursed for the purchase of a protective case or cover. When turning in their laptop, the student should remove the case or cover.

4. Using Laptops

a. Media

  • Inappropriate media may not be stored on or accessed on the laptop. 

b. Network Access and Security

  • Students only have access to their laptops by logging on using their University issued account.

  • Students should never share their account or account passwords with others.

c. Managing and Saving Digital Work

  • Some files may be stored on the laptop’s hard drive. The preferred storage is either external device such as a jump drive or on Google Drive as the stored work will be removed when the laptop is turned in at the end of the semester.

  • The University will not be responsible for the loss of any student work.

  • Students are encouraged to maintain backups of their important work on a portable storage device or by having multiple copies stored in different Internet storage solutions.

5. Student Responsibilities

a. Chromebook Loaner Program

  • The student is responsible for any damage or loss to the loaned device.

  • Loaner devices must be treated with the same respect as any other device as outlined in this document.

b. Repairing/Replacing Your Chromebook

  • All Chromebooks in need of repair must be brought to the Help Desk as soon as possible.

  • Possible costs (actual replacement value, subject to change):

    • Replacement ­ up to $200

    • AC Adaptor ­ up to $30

    • Screen replacement ­ up to $150

    • Keyboard replacement ­ up to $80

6. Operating System and Security

Students may not use or install any operating system on their laptop other than the current version that is supported by Valparaiso University’s IT Department.

7. Laptop Identification

The University will maintain a log of all laptops that includes the laptop serial number, property tag code, name, and ID number of the student assigned to the device. 

Students are bound by the Acceptable Use Policy and these Guidelines for the Hardship Fund Laptop Loaner Program.