5000 Free Chromebooks to Be Given out to Eligible Carroll Residents

"A life-changing piece of technology," as one official puts it.

That's what a Maryland county is offering to thousands of low-income residents, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Carroll County has been given $1 million from the state to buy 5,000 Chromebook laptops.

The laptops will be given out through the end of April to residents who meet certain eligibility requirements, including earning less than twice the federal poverty level (currently $15,060 for an individual, $20,440 for a family of two, and $31,200 for a family of four), as well as those who receive benefits such as federal public housing assistance, veterans' pensions, tribal-specific support, free or reduced-price school meals, or Pell grant recipient, the Carroll Technology and Innovation Council explains on its website.

The council will receive a stipend of $6 per Chromebook to cover distribution costs.

"Technology and access to technology are both important resources in most aspects of our lives today, and these Chromebooks will provide a gateway to service for many Carroll residents," District 2 Commissioner Ken Kiler says in a press release.

To qualify for a free Chromebook, an individual would need to earn $30,120 or less annually; a family of two would need to earn $40,880 or less annually; and a family of

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