Need A Laptop? Colleges Boost Loaner Programs Amid Pandemic

When the pandemic hit the state of Washington, it took Patricia Lopez's job as a medical assistant with it. Not having a college degree made it especially hard to find a new job, as so many employers were making cuts and tightening budgets.

Lopez applied for unemployment benefits — she'd need money to support her two kids and her mother, who lives with her — and signed up for classes at the local community college.

"Everything happens for a reason," she told me. She saw the misfortune as an opportunity, and felt there was no better time to finally get her associate's degree. She could spend her time without a job trying to set up a better financial future for her and her children.

Since she didn't have a computer or Internet at home, she signed up for classes on her iPhone.