In response to student feedback and recommendations from the Students’ Union at Bournemouth University (SUBU), we have relaunched a Laptop Loan service for students.
The previous scheme had been removed due to the growing cost of replacing outdated equipment, with many laptops previously in use being over seven years old. However, its removal left some students without access to essential technology.
The new service, which launched in September 2025, allows students to loan and return laptops via the IT Service Desk at Talbot Campus. Around 30 laptops are available for two-week loan periods. You can find out more about the service on our work and study on and off campus webpage.
The new service will run throughout the 2025/26 academic year as a trial, with final confirmation of whether it’ll continue expected in August 2026.
Professor Shelley Thompson, Dean of Education And Student Experience, said: “Following valuable feedback from our students, we're delighted to reinstitute the laptop loan scheme at BU to ensure we offer inclusive ways to ensure students have the resources they need to succeed academically. This new scheme, which will be offered through the libraries, has been developed in partnership with SUBU and demonstrates the power of listening to student feedback and working collaboratively to enhance the supportive and inclusive learning environment at BU.”
Esther Chinenye Isaiah, SUBU President, added: “We are really proud to see the reintroduction of the laptop loan scheme at BU. This is a great example of how student voices lead to real change, and we are grateful to students and the university for making this happen. After hearing concerns from students who were disadvantaged by the scheme’s removal, Grace and Cat have worked hard and closely with the Library Team, IT Team, and the University to secure its return. We believe that no student should be held back due to lack of access to essential technology, and the reintroduction of this scheme will help mitigate that.”
The recommendations were led by Grace Egbonna Ehiosun, SUBU’s Vice-President Education for the 2024/25 academic year, and Cat Morris, Faculty Officer for Science & Technology.
