“Upgrade” With Help from A YLS Technology Loan

In April, I made the big leap and ditched my dinosaur of a home PC for an IPad (such are the dangers of working a block away from the allure of the Apple Store). But for all of us there comes a time when no matter how trusty the old computer has been or what fond memories you may have of it … it’s just time to let it go quietly into the night.

So this is reminder that if you are at that point you can avail yourself of the YLS Technology Loan to make that new purchase. The loan is made on a reimbursement basis meaning that you will need to make and fund the purchase yourself (not just “ordered” but actually purchased). After doing so bring the receipts to the Financial Aid Office and complete a budget revision form.

Reimbursement is made by adding an additional loan to your financial aid award package. In most cases this will be an additional Graduate PLUS loan or Yale Graduate and Professional Loan (for international students). If you already have a Grad Plus or Yale G&P loan in place adding the extra loan requires no additional loan paperwork or promissory notes. There is one tricky thing in terms of cash flow… because student loans must disburse 50% for Fall term and 50% for Spring if you purchase a computer in the summer or at any time in the Fall term you won’t have the full reimbursement until the beginning of the spring term when the second installment of the loan comes in. Some students have waited to purchase until the very end of the Fall term or even into the Spring term itself so that the full reimbursement comes in all at once.

The reimbursement amount is based on your year at YLS. 1Ls are reimbursed at $3,000, 2Ls at $2,000 and 3Ls at $1,000. As such, if you are planning on taking advantage of this buying the computer in the 1L year will allow the maximum reimbursement. Any computer purchases made in the summer are reimbursable but only at the next academic year level (because the loans will not be put into place until that academic year). So if you are a rising 3L and purchase a computer in July- you will be set up with a $1,000 technology loan for the 2012-2013 academic year.

What constitutes “technology” for the sake of this loan? Well we are making the loan on the basis that the technology purchased is essential and necessary to your studies at YLS. That being said we maintain a fairly liberal definition of what we will allow under this reimbursement. In addition to a core computer we would allow accessories and or ancillary devices (printer, scanner etc.) up to the reimbursement level if all purchased at the same time. If you feel a tablet or IPad serves your needs better than a PC or Macbook that’s fine as well. But keep in mind it is a one time only reimbursement so whatever you purchase you will need to live with for the balance of your YLS life.

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