Laptop Subsidy Program

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Bring Your Own Device program is for students in grades 9 to 12. A laptop or tablet is a required tool to support learning in these grades. This program will allow for more personalized learning opportunities to help better prepare students for post-secondary education and the workplace.

The department understands that purchasing a new device may be a financial pressure for families. In response, the department has launched a financial assistance program for low to middle income families.

Under the program, parents and guardians have two options to help provide their student with a device:

• buy a device that meets the minimum device requirement and apply for a reimbursement within six months of the purchase, reimbursements can be provided by e-transfer or cheque
• apply for a subsidy online, once your application is approved you will receive a subsidy code to apply towards the online purchase of a laptop at IMP Solutions, if you receive the full subsidy of $685 the cost of the laptop would be fully covered. The standard laptop offered by IMP Solutions is the Lenovo 500W 2-in-1 Gen 5 laptop

You are eligible for a subsidy if:

• you are the parent or guardian of a New Brunswick high school student who has not yet received a subsidy
• your household income is within the limits of the program, as follows:

This table outlines the subsidy amounts applicable to households with multiple children, provided that all children are eligible for the subsidy and are included in a single application. If an additional application is submitted at a later time, this is considered a separate application. Applications for subsidy must be submitted by April 30 of the student's grade 12 year. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

*How household income is calculated: Household income is determined by line 150 of your most recent CRA Notice of Assessment for you and your partner. If this does not represent your current income level, you can provide one of the following instead:

• pay stubs for the past four consecutive periods
• proof of the last four payments received from Employment Insurance (EI)

If a parent is unable to provide their official proof of income, they can reach out to the school administration. The school would have information that could justify the circumstances and can provide a letter supporting the application.

1. Determine if you are eligible to apply, according to eligibility criteria above.
2. Before applying, you will need the following information:
   1. Electronic copies of your most recent Notice of Assessments or your last four consecutive pay stubs, for you and your partner.
   2. The New Brunswick Education Number (NBEN) of each student in grade 9–12 who needs a device. 
   3. If you have purchased a device, a detailed receipt of the purchase.
3. To begin your application, please visit the Parent Portal.
4. You will need to sign-in to the Parent Portal. If you do not already have an account, you can create a new one in the portal.
5. Once you have submitted the application, you will receive a confirmation email. This email contains your unique confirmation code. You can use this code as a reference if you need to inquire about your application.
6. Your application will be reviewed and validated by a team at SNB.
7. Once validated, approved applicants will receive an approval email.
   1. If you applied for a reimbursement, the email will inform you of the reimbursement amount and the details of how you will receive your funds.
   2. If you applied for a subsidy, the email will inform you of your unique code and the amount of credit it is worth on the IMP Solutions online site. The email will provide details to assist you in completing the purchase of a laptop through IMP Solutions.

Applications can also be submitted by using the Laptop Subsidy Program - Printable Application (PDF 486 KB) and sending it to [email protected] or by mail to Laptop Subsidy Program P. O. Box 6000 Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1.

If you are ineligible to receive a subsidy but would like to take advantage of a discounted price for the Lenovo 500W 2-in-1 Gen 5 laptop, you may still buy it through IMP Solutions. An email was sent to parents of grade 9 students with a unique code to enter when completing the online order. If you didn’t receive the email, you can contact us at 1-833-901-1963.

Recommended specifications: 

• 8 GB or higher of memory (RAM) 
• 64 GB or higher of storage (Hard Drive Size) * Solid State Drive (SDD) or Flash is recommended 
• Windows 11 Operating System or newest Mac OS (only applicable to laptops) 
• 1.6 GHz or higher processor speed (only applicable to Windows Laptops)

Please note: You must purchase a device that meets the specifications listed to qualify. You are only eligible to receive one subsidy, so it is important to choose a device that will last your entire time in high school.

If you already own a device: 

Based on the age (memory, processor speed and storage space) you may experience limitations or issues while using those devices in the classroom. If you already have a laptop or tablet that works at home, you are encouraged to try using it at school before purchasing a new device.

Devices eligible for the subsidy:

Windows Laptop or MacBook (Best option) 

• built-in keyboard 
• is best equipped to meet all of your coursework needs for long period 
• typically last for many years 
• easily upgradable 

Tablet / iPad (An option)

• more delicate and prone to breakage 
• certain client software may not work 
• a keyboard and protective sleeve are strongly recommended

Devices not eligible for the subsidy:

Chromebook (Not recommended)

• limited offline capabilities 
• certain client software may not work 
• likelihood of lasting four years is quite low 

Refurbished (Not recommended) 

• limited warranty 
• likelihood of lasting four years is quite low 

Phone (Not recommended)

• limited usability for a long period