FAQs

The ULP provides laptops, free of charge, to selected incoming students who have been identified by the Office of Financial Aid. This program is not connected to any other financial aid program. Being eligible for Pell, Go Blue Guarantee, etc. has no bearing on the ULP. Students must complete the CSS Profile in order to be considered for this laptop program. More than 7,200 incoming first-year and transfer students have participated in this program since 2015.

No. The ULP is only available to specific newly admitted students at the Ann Arbor campus who have been identified by the Office of Financial Aid. Students cannot request to participate in this program. It is not currently available to students on the Flint or Dearborn campuses.

Eligible students are notified shortly after their admissions application has been approved and the Office of Financial Aid has processed financial aid packages. The dates vary by each school or college’s admissions cycles and the various dates that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions processes applications.

Your answer to this email simply helps us determine the level of interest in the program and gives us an idea of how many laptops we will need to order. Clicking on the link in the email does not represent any obligation on your part, regardless of your answer. It doesn’t commit you to enrolling, nor does it obligate you to participate in the laptop program once you arrive. If you click ‘No,’ you will not receive any further emails about the program. You must click ‘Yes’ in order to receive any further communication about the program.

There is no risk to you if you respond yes or no, but a lack of response or a delayed response can mean we don’t order enough laptops. It is especially important if you are starting in the winter or spring terms where our window of communicating with you is very narrow. If you don’t express your interest promptly, we may not have a laptop to give you when your classes begin.

If you are having difficulty logging in to Enrollment Connect, try logging in with the original email you used when you submitted your application for admission. If you were using an email account from your high school but it was discontinued, or if you cannot complete a password reset, send an email to [email protected] and explain that you need to switch your login email to your U-M email account.

You may want to leave your current laptop behind for family members to use and use the ULP laptop the university provides for you. If the ULP laptop breaks, it can be fixed under the laptop’s warranty we have provided. If the ULP laptop is stolen, we might be able to replace it (see question on theft). If those things were to happen to the laptop you have now, you have to think about how you would pay to fix it or replace it. In the worst-case scenario, you could always use your current laptop as a backup for the ULP laptop.

No. You must maintain active student status during your first term. As long as you complete your first term, the laptop will be yours to keep even after graduation. 

The value of the laptop will be listed on your financial aid notice but you are not billed for the expense, and it does not reduce the amount of other aid that you are eligible to receive.

You must return the laptop and power adapter/cables within 10 days to the Office of Financial Aid, 2500 Student Activities Bldg., 515 E. Jefferson St. Failure to do so will result in a charge to your student account for the cost of the laptop package (laptop, warranty, and case).

*Leaving Michigan means you are withdrawing from all of your classes with no intention of returning in subsequent terms/years. If you withdraw from all of your classes but intend to return to U-M, you should schedule a meeting with the laptop program’s director, and we can evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

No, the laptop program only requires that you complete your first semester without withdrawing* from all of your classes.

*Leaving Michigan means you are withdrawing from all of your classes with no intention of returning in subsequent terms/years. If you withdraw from all of your classes but intend to return to U-M, you should schedule a meeting with the laptop program’s director, and we can evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

It depends. Your ULP eligibility is based upon your processed CSS Profile, which covers the current "Aid Year" (spring/summer 2024, fall 2024, winter 2025, spring/summer 2025). If you defer your admission to one of these terms, you remain eligible; if you defer beyond these terms, you will need to refile your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile. The Office of Financial Aid will reevaluate your eligibility based upon the results of those new financial aid applications.

No. Our program is only available for incoming first-year and transfer students and has a budgetary cycle. If you do not take advantage of the program when it is offered, you cannot request to participate later.

Laptops must be picked up before the end of the first week that classes are in session for the term in which you were admitted. The laptops are not available on an ongoing basis.

The laptop is a current model 13" MacBook Air. It has 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD drive. The laptop program also provides a four-year Safeware warranty and a protective sleeve. If you are in the School of Information or the Stamps School of Art & Design, you will be given a laptop that has been identified by those colleges.

The School of Information and Stamps are part of the ULP, but these two schools have different laptop requirements for their curriculum. So we will provide a laptop that meets those requirements.

As of January 2020, upon successful completion of your first term at the university, the laptop you received will be considered your property*. You will then be responsible for any repairs it may need that exceed your four-year Safeware warranty. Students who participated in the ULP from 2015-2020 have been notified that they can keep their laptops.

Please note you cannot sell this laptop while you are still actively enrolled at the University of Michigan.

*Leaving Michigan means you are withdrawing from all of your classes with no intention of returning in subsequent terms/years. If you withdraw from all of your classes but intend to return to U-M, you should schedule a meeting with the laptop program’s director, and we can evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, if you finish your first term* the laptop will be yours to keep, even after you graduate. That also means that you can take the laptop home over breaks before you finish your first term.

Please note you cannot sell this laptop while you are still actively enrolled at the University of Michigan.

*Leaving Michigan means you are withdrawing from all of your classes with no intention of returning in subsequent terms/years. If you withdraw from all of your classes but intend to return to U-M, you should schedule a meeting with the laptop program’s director, and we can evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

No. You will be getting a new, in-the-box laptop.

No, the laptops are ordered in bulk, so we cannot accommodate individual color preferences.

No, the “Back to School” offers are only available for personal purchases. The ULP laptops are purchased by the University of Michigan as an institutional buyer, which does not qualify for these discounts.

No. The program only uses MacBook Airs.

No. The program only uses MacBook Airs.

No. The program only uses MacBook Airs.

No. This is a program that provides laptops to make you successful with your class work. It is not intended to be any other form of financial aid.

No. Laptops from this program are only available to new incoming students. The program does not have the ability to trade computers beyond the one that we provided when you first arrived. If you need access to more powerful computers, we would recommend you use the laptop to access the ITS Virtual Sites webpage that provides on-the-go access to a broad range of licensed software. Virtual Sites is like a big, virtual computer lab that students can access from any stable internet connection.

No, the laptop program only covers the hardware, warranty, and protective sleeve. Other software required by your curriculum may be available through the ITS Virtual Sites tool that provides on-the-go access to a broad range of licensed software.

Participants will be notified at their U-M email address of the pick-up process 10 calendar days before the start of classes for the term they are admitted. You must pick up the laptop before the end of the first week that classes are in session.

You can simply tell the cashier what your UMID number is and verify who you are with a state-issued ID with a photograph.

Please be assured you are not. If you look closely at the receipt, you will see that there is a U-M department shortcode listed as the “Payment Method.”

Receipt of the laptop is based on many steps that have to happen first, including orientation and registering for classes. The bulk order for the laptops happens a few weeks before classes begin for the term. If you are participating in summer programs, you will be notified when you will be able to pick up the laptop.

If you were admitted for the fall term, but then accepted into Summer Bridge Scholars Program (SBSP), M-Sci Academy, M-Engin, or Ross Summer Connection (RSC) — which run in the summer — we will contact you a week before these programs begin about receiving the laptop in time for the program.

No, laptops are only made available for UM-sponsored programs. Distribution of the laptops are based on many steps that have to happen first, including orientation and registering for classes. The bulk order is only placed for the laptops a few weeks before classes begin for the term.

Your laptop comes with the standard AppleCare one-year limited warranty, but the limited warranty from Apple does not include accidental damage, so an additional four-year Safeware plan is also part of the laptop package purchase. The first year of protection includes both AppleCare and Safeware. Safeware protects your computer up to the value of the laptop when it was purchased. It is possible to exhaust the warranty: If you have multiple repairs, each instance for repair goes toward that original purchase value.

If the computer is stolen, immediately call the local police where the theft occurred. For example, if you are on the U-M campus, please call the U-M police at 734-763-1131. If you are off campus in Ann Arbor, please call the Ann Arbor police at ​734-994-2911. Wherever you may be, call the non-emergency police number in that area. We will require a police report in order to process the theft in the hopes of recovering the stolen equipment. Email [email protected] with a copy of the police report and the reporting officer’s name, email address, and telephone number. We often have more information we can give the officer to help recover the laptop. Renter’s insurance is recommended as well to protect you against loss. If the laptop is stolen from your vehicle, it may be covered by your car insurance. You should explore all other avenues before reaching out to us. You will need to provide documentation from your insurance company if they deny your claim. Each instance will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to see if a replacement laptop can be offered.

If the computer is lost in a fire, immediately call the local police where the fire occurred. For example, if you are on the U-M campus, please call the U-M police at 734-763-1131. If you are off campus in Ann Arbor, please call the Ann Arbor police at ​734-994-2911. We will require a police or fire department report as well as the burnt remains of the laptop in order to consider replacing it. Email [email protected] with a copy of the police report and the reporting officer’s name, email address, and telephone number. Renter’s insurance is recommended as well to protect you against damage or loss. You should explore all other avenues before reaching out to us. You will need to provide documentation from your insurance company if they deny your claim. Each instance will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to see if a replacement laptop can be offered.

If you have completed your first term, the laptop is yours. If you exceed the warranty in any way, you will be responsible for the repair costs if you decide to get your laptop fixed.

Safeware does not cover all things, but you should always email [email protected] to see what options might be available in the event of loss.

• Wear and tear
• Intentional damage and negligence
• Natural disasters
• Flood
• Fire
• Theft
• Lost property

No, all repairs have to be processed through Safeware.

The computer support department for U-M is called Information and Technology Services or simply ITS. They manage the networking, printing, software licensing, and classroom services on campus. They also manage computing security, accounts, and passwords. ITS has a special webpage just for students to learn how ITS can help you during your time on the Ann Arbor campus. This webpage will help you connect to MWireless (the network on campus), MPrint (printing services), and Canvas (the learning management system), which is used for classroom work.

This laptop is covered by a Safeware four-year warranty. If the campus is open and the computer breaks, please bring it to the Tech Shop on Central Campus, which is located on the ground level of the Michigan Union, 530 S. State St. Depending on availability, they may be able to provide a loaner for you while the laptop is being repaired.

Many things can happen during a repair, beyond the primary act of fixing the laptop. The Tech Shop may need to perform a clean installation of the laptop’s operating system, which involves erasing the hard drive. Please back up all of your files to the UM-provided cloud services before bringing the laptop in.

No, the laptop program only allows you to get one laptop. If your laptop has to be sent to Apple for repair, Apple may determine that a replacement is necessary, but that determination is made entirely by them.

Send an email to [email protected] as soon as possible. Be sure your message includes a description of your issue, referencing your previous repair, and the serial number of the laptop. They will then contact you to make an appointment to bring in the laptop.

While you are away from campus, you can contact Safeware directly for instructions by calling 800-800-1492. They will assist you with locating a Safeware repair center in your area. Here is a link to their claims page to enter the serial number of the laptop. Please note that you may have to pay for the repair up front and have Safeware reimburse you the cost.

Send an email to [email protected], and our campus repair technicians can guide you through several repair options available. Be sure to include your UMID and the laptop’s serial number in your email to help us speed things up.

If you are still in your first term, please email [email protected]. If you have completed your first semester, then you are officially the owner of the laptop and are responsible for replacing the lost item. The Safeware warranty covers damage, but does not cover loss or theft. You can purchase a replacement from the Tech Shop on Central Campus.

Any sort of damage should be handled by the Tech Shop to determine if the damage can be covered by the warranty.

Yes, there are two groups on campus that have student tech consultants who can help. The Tech Shop offers in-person and remote tech consulting. You may also get assistance from the ITS Help Desk at 734-764-HELP or [email protected]. Refer to the UMICH Tech Guide for more resources.

Online courses are available from LinkedIn Learning. U-M members have access to the LinkedIn Learning video library of over 15,000 engaging, top-quality, on-demand courses taught by recognized industry experts. Courses include “Computer Literacy for Mac,” as well as “Essential Training” courses for Canvas, Microsoft, Google, and Adobe applications.

Logging in to the laptop is related to the computer’s operating system, so this is a software-related issue. The Tech Shop offers in-person and remote tech consulting. You may also get assistance from the ITS Help Desk at 734-764-HELP or [email protected]. Refer to the UMICH Tech Guide for more resources.