Skyline’s Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) program is giving away free laptops to eligible students who apply before this Friday, Feb. 4.

The organization California Connects gave huge grants to buy laptops to 35 MESA centers throughout California. These 35 centers will receive 100 laptops per year for three years.

Stephen Fredricks, Skyline MESA director, admits that they are not the best laptops, but they come with Microsoft Office and free broadband internet service for a year, and a free laptop is better than nothing at all.

If you are a science or math major, Stephen highly recommends applying for MESA and seeing if you are eligible for a laptop, because most of the science and math classes are online.

Even if you aren’t eligible for a laptop, MESA offers tutoring and a great support system to help you with your educational goals.

Before you jump up and join MESA with laptop dreams floating around your brain, take heed of these requirements:

• Must be majoring in science, math or engineering.

• Must have a Student Educational Plan showing your major and every class you will be taking until you transfer to a four-year university.

• Must be transferring to a four-year college.

• Must have proof of financial disadvantage (BOGW grant, Pell grant, Work Study, Welfare, etc.).

• Math assessment score must be at or above elementary algebra (Math 110).

• Must have no previous Bachelor’s degrees.

• Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

• Must have at least one of the following “educational disadvantages”:

•Began community college with a math assessment at or below elementary algebra.

•Neither parent or guardian has a Bachelor’s degree.

•Student participated in a MESA Program in middle or high school.

Along with the above requirements, students must complete 12 hours of “internet related” community service within the first year after getting their laptops and become certified in one of many Microsoft programs.

“Internet related” community service can mean anything from teaching your family how to use Google, or, as our MESA program is planning, visiting a retirement home and teaching the residents how to send and receive e-mails.

Skyline MESA students who need to meet the certification requirement have access to 500 Microsoft certifications, ranging from basic Microsoft Office to the more complicated and in-depth PowerPoint certification.

Fredricks mentioned that the community service requirements are ambiguous because this is the first year of the program and those in charge are still figuring it out.

If you are interested in obtaining a free laptop or simply in joining the helpful program, drop by the MESA center in building 7, room 7309 anytime Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In the words of Mr. Fredricks himself: “Free laptops!”

Have no fear: this program will be going on for three years, with the next laptop drop date being in August 2011, although those in charge of Skyline’s MESA program are trying to push it to September to allow a larger opportunity for students to apply.