e-Learning Foundation Charity Makes Individual IT Support Grants Available For Pupils In Need

Schools invited to nominate individual pupils for a grant for home access

The e-Learning Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping deprived children bridge the digital divide, is making individual support grants available to pupils requiring financial help to purchase a computer and the Internet for their studies.

The ‘Individual Support Grant’ scheme is available to schools affiliated to the e-Learning Foundation for pupils from low income families whose educational opportunities are being limited by their lack of home access and who do not fall under the Governments’ Home Access programme or a school’s equity programme.

Valerie Thompson, Chief Executive of the e-Learning Foundation commented:

“Families eligible for Free School Meals at Key Stages 2 and 3 will now be entitled to a Home Access Grant from the Government. But there will still be many low income families struggling to provide a computer and the internet for their children’s learning at home. Our goal is universal access and the ‘Individual Support Grant’ will go some way to ensuring that these children don’t fall on the wrong side of the digital divide”.

“It has been proven that there is a link between attainment and IT provision in the home and therefore no child should miss out.  Home access has to be right, not a privilege”.

The e-Learning Foundation is now inviting affiliated schools to identify a minimum of ten students on whose behalf they would like to apply for a grant. While an individual family can receive up to 50% of the cost of provision, schools should not expect to receive more than 30% overall. 

The families will be required to make up the difference between the cost of the purchase + VAT and the grant. Unlike the e-Learning Foundation’s equity scheme, families will own the computers and Internet devices from the outset under this scheme.

Schools must satisfy themselves that the students in this grant application come from families whose income is below £27,000 and are not eligible for a Government Home Access grant.

The application form is available in the affiliated members section of the e-Learning Foundation’s website. When granted, grants should be claimed no later than the end of February 2010 with evidence of purchase and parental contributions.

The e-Learning Foundation was launched in 2001, to ensure that every schoolchild in the UK should have access to learning technologies when and where they want to learn, and especially at home.

The Foundation, a registered charity, aims to bridge the digital divide and ensure that all children, irrespective of their background, can have the same access to technology for learning as their better off peers.

The Foundation is funded through the public, private and third sector in the form of Government grants, commercial sponsorship, grants and donations.

www.e-learningfoundation.com

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