E2D Gives 800 Free Laptops to College Students Across NC, Including Fayetteville State

Last week, a North Carolina group put computers into the hands of 800 students who are first in their families to attend college. The million-dollar tech push aims to knock down walls that block many from joining the online world.

Students at four state schools - Johnson C. Smith, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, and Winston-Salem State - got the machines from E2D (Eliminate the Digital Divide). These tools will help students who couldn't buy computers for their studies.

"It's going to be a lot easier for these students to be able to do their work," said Pat Millen, president and co-founder of E2D, according to Spectrum News 1. "To get from that first day of school to the graduation line is fraught with peril — it's expensive, it's difficult, and that's why only 27% of first-generation students get to the finish line. Not having a computer is not a good reason not to get there."

At Johnson C. Smith University, freshman Ashlyn Mercer studies computer science. Until now, she checked out machines from the campus library, making do without her own.

"I do everything on a computer," Mercer said to Spectrum News 1. "I did not have the money to buy a computer. I used to come to the library every day to check out a laptop."

New data from state tech experts shows why this matters. Their 2024 study found a million-plus homes cut off from tech access. State officials poured federal cash (over a billion dollars) into fixing these gaps.