Hundreds of free data SIMs offered to Fife College students

Hundreds of SIM cards loaded with 30GB of free data are being offered to Fife College students as part of an initiative to help them get online.

Over 1000 Data SIMs have been given to the College by Vodafone as part of their work with the Mail Force charity to help hundreds of thousands of students across the UK to access the internet.

With the Coronavirus restrictions having forced many courses to be taught remotely, some students haven’t been able to fully access online learning as they don’t have access to the right connectivity.

Fife College’s Digital Services team were determined to ensure that no students missed out, so have been encouraging those in need to apply online for the free SIM cards.

Each SIM is can be used on a smartphone, tablet or other device with a SIM card port, and the 30GB of data lasts for up to 90 days.

The SIM cards are just one of several digital initiatives implemented by the College to help students throughout the pandemic, after they also developed remote desktop technology to help construction students access high spec software from home.

They also recently introduced an innovative system to livestream lessons direct into students’ homes, and during the pandemic have delivered over 1,100 devices directly to students to better support remote learning.

Kimmy Coburn, a student at Fife College who received a free SIM card said:

"I applied for one of the SIM cards after my tutor recommended it to me.

"It's been really, really useful, especially as a lot of my course has been moved online due to the Coronavirus restrictions.

"I've used it to access online lessons, call in to do an exam, and watch several presentations through Microsoft Teams.

"It's provided a good connection pretty much everywhere and has made a big difference to me."

Kristoffer Getchell, the head of the Digital Services Team at Fife College said:

“It’s great that we can partner with Vodafone and Mail Force to offer our students these free Data SIMs.

“With so many of our students accessing lessons and resources from home, we were concerned that some might not have the right resources in place to get online.

“At Fife College we’re determined to ensure that no one misses out, and by offering these SIMs we can give 30GB of free data to the individuals who need it most.

“Anyone who does need help can apply for a SIM through the website and we’ll mail it out to them, or they can collect them on campus once they return.

“In addition to the electronic devices we’ve handed out to students, and our constant drive to improve online resources, we’re confident we’re doing all we can to ensure everyone at the College gets as thorough an education as possible.”