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Student Laptop Program

The Student Laptop Program is a complete computer solution for all students. Although the University does not sell computers, we do have a special agreement with Dell to offer computers at discount prices for University of Scranton students. Our Dell laptops offer Dell's Complete Care and full technical support, as well as solid business-level hardware and specifications that will work for you over the long haul. Macs have long been known for their ease of use and resistance to spyware and viruses.

Program Information

Please review the information below for specific information. Have more questions? Review our Frequently Asked Questions page or contact the Technology Support Center at  570-941-HELP or techsupport@scranton.edu.

Once you have purchased your laptop, you will want to think about the software that you plan on using during your time at Scranton.

  • Anti-Virus Software for PC and Mac is Required: all computers connecting to University resources are required to be protected with a University of Scranton approved anti-virus software installed and running at all times. We highly recommend Microsoft Security Essentials for PC owners, and Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition (free).
  • Microsoft Office Professional is FREE for students: Microsoft Office products are free to download once you receive your scranton.edu email address. There is no need to purchase these separately. Visit www.scranton.edu/office365 for more information.
  • Software in University labs: labs will have all of the other software that you will need. Some people find that they use some applications so heavily that they prefer to buy their own copy - that is something that you can decide at any time.
  • Software purchases with academic discounts: a variety of online stores offer discounts to students. Some popular websites include Amazon Student, journeyEd, Dell and Apple Education Store.

We recommend you purchase a Dell 4-year warranty, plus 4-year Complete Care Accidental Damage warranty. Our experience has shown that this warranty coverage is well worth it - we see dozens of spills and drops every year, resulting in damage to system boards that can cost between $700-$800 without Accidental Damage. Apple does not offer Accidental Damage, but their standard warranty is only one year - we highly recommend extending AppleCare to at least 3 years.

  • Visit dell.com/scranton to view and order one of the specially configured laptops or to purchase any other DELL system.
  • Apple computers can be also be purchased at a discount from the Apple Education Store.


Please note: There are some major differences in the support that we can provide, and it is important for students to know these differences before they make their decision. View our laptop comparison page.

There are a few items that you may want to consider bringing with you to campus. These items can be purchased through the Dell and Apple stores or through your favorite local store.

  • External hard drive - Highly recommended: We see hard drives that have failed on every model of laptop and sometimes data is unrecoverable. Protect yourself by backing up your data.
  • Case/Backpack/Bag: Since one of the best features of your laptop is portability, you should invest in a case that will allow you to safely take your laptop with you to class, the library or anywhere.
  • USB key/thumb drive/jump drive: Back up your data, especially your papers! Transfer your files, move things around - protect yourself.
  • Laptop Lock: Don't risk your laptop plus all the data stored on it. Secure your laptop with a laptop lock.
  • Printer: We have printers in labs across campus, so you don't need a printer.
  • Microsoft Office Professional: Microsoft Office products are free to download once you receive your scranton.edu email address. There is no need to purchase these separately. Visit www.scranton.edu/office365 for more information.

Laptop support is available through our Technology Support Center to all students who need help with connection issues, malware removal and software related problems. We do not provide hardware or operating system support. 

Hardware warranty repairs are available for students who purchased a Dell or Mac laptop with a valid warranty. The University of Scranton is an Authorized Dell and Apple Warranty Repair Center.

If your computer needs service:

  • Students must remain with their laptop while service is being performed. Laptops cannot be left and picked up later.
  • Students are responsible for backing up all their data and files before bringing their laptops for service.
  • Bring all of your documents, program disks and original paperwork to campus, as it is sometimes necessary to have these in order to fix a problem.

Contact the Technology Support center at 570-941-HELP for Dell or Apple software problems or warranty hardware repairs. 

Disclaimer

We make every reasonable effort to resolve your computer problem but cannot guarantee that we will be able to successfully get your computer connected to our network or to fix every problem. The University of Scranton is not responsible for any loss of personal data or software not originally installed on the computer which may occur during the repair process. Certain repairs including, but not limited to, virus and spyware removal may damage software and/or data installed on your computer. University of Scranton IT technicians will take every precaution to prevent any loss of data but if such data were to be lost, the technicians will not be held responsible for any data loss.

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