After providing grants to students for four semesters, Fresno State’s tablet program, DISCOVERe, has stopped providing grants.

DISCOVERe is an initiative started by Fresno State President Dr. Joseph Castro in which courses are redesigned so tablets can be incorporated into courses. ­­

The objective of the program is for students to be able to gain technology skill sets that are used in the workforce, pay a lower cost for textbooks and materials, and do things that are not typically available in regular lecture courses, said project manager Mike Pronovost.

The program launched in fall 2014 and originally offered students enrolled in DISCOVERe courses a grant, which would go toward purchasing a tablet, said Elisabeth Parra, a DISCOVERe hub guide.

“I am a little bit concerned that the university wasn’t able to find funds to help offer grants to students to aid them in the purchasing of a tablet like they have in years past,” said Jeremiah Henry, who teaches DISCOVERe tablet courses.

Henry’s concern originated after hearing that the program is no longer giving grants to students, but providing students with access to rent a tablet instead.

“If we have the classes that are framed under DISCOVERe, we should be able to offer some kind of help for the students in order for them to purchase the tablet,” Henry said.

Although grants are not available for students this semester, students can be loaned a tablet free of charge from the DISCOVERe hub, located on the main floor of the Henry Madden Library, Parra said.

Students will be able to borrow a tablet for the duration of the tablet course. Or if a student plans to enroll in another tablet class next semester, the student is allowed to be loaned the same tablet until he/she stops taking DISCOVERe courses, Parra said.

“Essentially the loaning took the place of the grant funds,” Pronovost said. “And the reason for that also, is that we have a DISCOVERe subcommittee that oversees sustainability and that was one of the recommendations that they provided.”

Additionally, Parra said that because of the increase in students enrolled in DISCOVERe courses, there was not enough funding to provide grants to every student enrolled. ­

Students in DISCOVERe courses can apply for a loaner tablet through their website and pick up the tablet at the hub in the library, if eligible.

Eligibility is determined by the student’s financial aid need.

“So far everyone has been pretty much been approved for the tablets, so we haven’t had to turn many people away, which is a good thing,” Parra said.

When picking up a tablet, Pronovost said, DISCOVERe guides will show students which apps are most likely going to be used in their tablet class, how to connect to the university’s Wi-Fi and more.

In the future, Pronovost said, DISCOVERe will “probably be moving to the direction of loaning the tablets,” rather than providing grants again.

“I took a DISCOVERe course when there were still grants, so it hasn’t really affected me,” Parra said. “But I do know some people who are guides that have taken it and actually they don’t mind it [loaning]. They like it.”