Donnelly College Understands the Importance of Access to Education and Low Cost Devices to Succeed Beyond Graduation
Written by Peter Arvanitakis, ACC AmeriCorps Member
Access to a personal device shapes nearly every aspect of modern life: how people work, learn, connect, and participate. For thousands of Kansas residents, that access isn’t guaranteed. Nationally, roughly 1 in 10 college students does not own a personal computer, so even for digital natives, owning a laptop isn’t a given (How Every College Student in America Can Get a Laptop and a Hotspot, 2020). Without one, every Sunday night deadline becomes a scramble.
The Digital Life Exchange (DLX) is a member network for human and social service agencies and community organizations across the Kansas City metro area to help their clients access the tools and support they need to fully participate in the digital economy, which includes access to devices, connectivity, digital skills, and support services for underserved populations. KC Digital Drive, the backbone organization for the DLX, understands that one of the most tangible issues in the digital divide is access to devices, in tandem with access to the internet. Through ADOPT 2.0, a Kansas-focused grant that KC Digital Drive received from the Kansas Office of Broadband Development, DLX members can participate in the Device Access program to receive free laptops and Chromebooks for the clients they serve, along with low-cost internet service availability guides for their place of residence.
At Donnelly College, a small private college in Kansas City, Kan., first-generation students make up 81% of the total student body. A majority are Pell Grant recipients, and students have an average household income of $27,000. Donnelly is a distribution partner for the DLX Device Access program. The students who qualify receive a new MicrosoftⓇ WindowsⓇ laptop, configure the device on site as their own personal computer, and receive tech support through the term of the ADOPT 2.0 grant, September 30, 2026. This device follows the student beyond their time at Donnelly…into their next school, their career, and their life.
Carol Doms, the college’s Academic Librarian, sees the need for digital tools every day through her student’s eyes.
“Donnelly does have computer labs available to students, but the college is only open from Monday through Friday. Many class assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, which is fine for those with internet and computer access, leaving students without access at a disadvantage. Some of our students can get a laptop from our IT department, but that only lasts until graduation. If they transfer to another college or university after completing an associate degree at Donnelly, they would be back at square one.”
What Device Distribution Looks Like
To ensure students don’t just receive a device but know how to use it, KC Digital Drive partners with TechConnect KC, a Kansas City-based IT consulting group that helps nonprofits expand their impact through technology. Through this ADOPT grant, TechConnect KC’s team manages the devices and distributes these devices through hands-on workshops, providing the technical setup and support that makes the difference between a student receiving a laptop and a student actually being able to use one.
During the first workshop in March at Donnelly, students were able to receive and set up their brand new Windows laptops on site. Following instructions from TechConnect KC’s team, students set up their emails, school portal access, and multi-factor authentication with ease. One student mentioned that before he received his new computer, he had been borrowing his sister’s device. As Carol states, “to have this opportunity to put technology in the hands of our eligible students has been a great blessing.”
Along with the laptop, each student received personalized internet broadband service information charts they took home, educating them on affordable internet plans offered at their home address. The charts included fixed internet providers, wireless hotspot options and free and low-cost services from nonprofits like PCs for People and the Kansas City Public Library, along with a speed guide that helped students find the right plan for their household. For students with existing internet plans, some discovered they could lower their monthly bill. For those without it, they left with real, actionable ways to save money.
The laptops were ready to use from the moment students opened them. Kevin Bowman, co-founder of TechConnect KC, and his team helped students configure personalized bookmarks and walked students through the tools they would need most, not because the technology is complicated, but because familiarity from day one makes all the difference. Students are left knowing where to turn if something goes wrong with the device, and TechConnectKC is available for technical support because receiving a device is only the beginning.
The partnership between KC Digital Drive and Donnelly College reflects something deeper than a device giveaway. It is a coordinated effort to meet students where they are, address the real barriers they face, and give them tools that follow them beyond their time at Donnelly. For students participating in the ADOPT program, the support doesn’t end when the workshop does.
This DLX Device Access project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number CPFFN0139 awarded to the State of Kansas by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for the ADOPT 2.0 Grant Program through the Kansas Office of Broadband Development. Read more here.
References:
- “How Every College Student in America Can Get a Laptop and a Hotspot.” New America, 17 Feb. 2026, www.newamerica.org/insights/how-every-college-student-america-can-get-laptop-and-hotspot/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.