Piedmont Community College to Provide Laptops to 3,500 Students

Thanks to a $875,000 gift from the Gambrell Foundation of Charlotte, more than 3,500 students at Central Piedmont Community College will receive laptops annually over a five-year period.

The foundation is taking the initiative to make technology accessible for low-income students, who otherwise find hard to complete their courses.

Both the college and the foundation are aiming for the greater academic success and economic mobility of the lower income students after they graduate from various programs.

“We think this innovative and generous grant will lead to greater academic success among our lower-income students. More students earning degrees and moving into family sustaining careers or pursuing more education will have a positive impact on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community,” Central Piedmont President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer said.

“The college will track the progress of these students during the five-year grant period to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. We thank the Gambrell Foundation yet again for being our partner in this timely economic mobility initiative,” he added.

The laptops will be given to the financially weaker first-year students from the fall 2019 semester.