California State University, Northridge is one of eight CSU campuses that are part of the first phase of a new initiative to enhance student achievement and create more equitable opportunities for students by providing them with Apple iPad Air tablets.

CSUN will be offering an iPad Air, Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio to all first-time freshmen and new transfer students who register to participate in the CSUCCESS (California State University Connectivity Contribution to Equity and Student Success) initiative.

The students will be able to keep the equipment, for free, through the completion of their undergraduate degree at the university.

“As a university committed to access, inclusion and technological innovation, CSUN is excited to join in the CSUCCESS Initiative and offer this powerful resource to our new students,” CSUN President Erika D. Beck said. “We’re working tirelessly to remove barriers that may dim our students’ bright futures, and CSUCCESS is another impactful investment in student success.”

CSUN students can find out more about the initiative and register to participate at https://www.csun.edu/csuccess.

There are no income-based eligibility requirements. Devices are expected to be made available in August. Upon graduation from CSUN, students will be asked to return the equipment. The devices are provided on a loaned basis so as not to impact students’ financial aid.

“CSUCCESS will assure that students have immediate access to innovative, new mobile tools they need to support their learning, particularly when faced with the lingering effects of the pandemic,” said CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro, in announcing the launch of CSUCCESS. “The new initiative will establish a foundation for their achievement and has the potential to play a key role in eliminating stubborn equity gaps among our talented and diverse students. In addition to truly addressing equity and access, we see iPad Air as a powerful tool to prepare our students for their future careers.”

In addition to CSUN, the other CSU campus participating in the launch of CSUCCESS are Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Fresno, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Maritime Academy and San Marcos. CSU officials hope to expand the initiative to all students in the California State University system in the future.

CSU officials noted that throughout the course of the pandemic, access to computing equipment and connectivity was identified as an obstacle for some CSU students.

Over the course of the past year, the CSU invested more than $18 million to purchase more than 21,000 laptops and tablets and 10,000 mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for students, in addition to loaning out several millions of dollars of existing equipment.

“Throughout the pandemic and now the recovery, CSUN has and will continue to invest in providing students with state-of-the-art technology they need to succeed,” said Ranjit Philip, Interim Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. “More than 3,000 laptops, internet hotspots, webcams and headsets were loaned to students, and we are continuing to offer these technology devices into the new academic year.”

The CSUCCESS initiative is one of many ways CSUN is working to ensure that its students have the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

The university also offers a device loaner program for students, as well as CSUN Ready, which provides students with free course materials for their fall 2021 semester classes.

For more information about CSUN Ready, visit https://www.csun.edu/csunready.