Austin Community College has a variety of services for students who need reliable computer technology and high-speed internet to complete their coursework.

On-Campus Computers & High-Speed Internet

Starting January 18, students can visit ACCelerators at the Highland, Round Rock, and San Gabriel Campuses as well as Computer Centers around the District to access high-speed internet and computer stations. Hours of operation for these locations are listed below. See COVID-19 protocols to be on campus.

ACCelerators (Open computing only)

Computer Centers (Open computing & technology distribution)

Due to COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, the Computer Centers have limited workstations for students to use as an open-computing location.

Technology Checkout Locations (Technology distribution only)

Borrow Technology for the Semester

Student Technology Services makes available various types of technology that can be checked out to support student success. Device may be checked out for up-to an academic semester. All devices are expected to be returned promptly when the device is due.

Prerequisite: Students must have claimed their ACCeID and setup their ACCMail account before requesting technology. For assistance with completing these tasks, please review:

• Claiming ACCeID
• Activating ACCMail

• iPad Loaner Program

  • ACC offers iPad kits on loan for your school use and some online testing. Each iPad kit includes:

    • iPad and case
    • Bluetooth keyboard
    • Charging brick
    • Charging cables for both the iPad and keyboard

    Important: There are some limitations for taking exams when using an iPad.

    • Proctored tests administered by ACC Live Proctoring cannot be taken on an iPad.
    • Tests secured by Respondus LockDown Browser or proctored through Respondus Monitor do work on an iPad.
    • Tests administered directly within Blackboard do work on an iPad.

    Check with your professor to confirm whether an iPad is compatible with their method of testing

• Additional Technology for Check Out

  • In addition to iPad kits, the following technologies are available to checkout.

    • Webcams
    • USB microphones
    • Calculators (scientific and graphing)
    • Headsets (USB and 3.5mm)

    Laptop computers are available in limited quantities to CAD, GIS, and Game Design students who receive pre-approval from their department.

    Please note that quantities of devices may vary by location.

• How to Check Out Technology

  • Note: Devices cannot be shipped to students - all devices must be picked up from one of the on-campus technology distribution locations.

    Step 1: Go to a technology distribution location

    Go to an open Computer Center or alternate technology pickup location. Hours of operation are listed above.

    Note: Students are required to produce a form of photo ID to check out technology, preferably an ACC Student ID. Information on how to obtain a Student ID

    Step 2: Fill out a Device Checkout Agreement

    All students checking out technology from ACC are required to sign a Device Checkout Agreement. This agreement is 100% online and will be completed when you arrive to check out a device. Once the agreement is complete, show the confirmation screen to a staff member.

    Step 3: Receive your device

    After completing the Device Checkout Agreement in the Computer Center or alternate technology distribution, a staff member will provide you with the device that you need.

• Having Someone Else Pick Up Technology For You

  • If students are not able to come to a campus to pick up a device on their own, they can follow the process below to have someone pick up a device on their behalf.

    Note: It may take up to 1 business day for a proxy request to be approved. Proxies will not be able to pick up a device until the request is approved.

    Step 1: Provide Proxy Information

    The student needing technology must submit a request to have someone pick up technology on their behalf.

    Submit a proxy request here

    Note: Students must log in using their ACC email address to complete this request form.

    Step 2: Fill out a Device Checkout Agreement

    After receiving the information above, you will receive an email response with a link to complete the required Device Checkout Agreement. This must be completed before a device will be issued.

    Step 3: Forward Completed Agreement

    After completing the Device Checkout Agreement, you will receive an email with the completed Agreement. Forward a copy of the completed Agreement to the person picking up a device for you. They will need this information when picking up your device.

    Step 4: Device Pickup

    Once you have forwarded your completed Device Checkout Agreement to the person picking up your device, that person can go to any of the open distribution locations listed above.

    Note: Any individual picking up a device on behalf of another person must bring the following items:

    • Copy of the completed Device Checkout Agreement (paper copy or electronic copy)
    • Photo ID that matches the information provided in Step 1 above.

    Failure to bring these items will result in being turned away.

• Device Extension Requests

  • Extensions may be requested by submitting this request form. Requests for an extension will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Additional Resources

• Discounted Software for Student Purchase & Use

  • Austin Community College makes available a variety of software for students to purchase at a discounted rate or access for free.

    Google Workspace (formerly GSuite)

    Austin Community College uses Google Workspace as the official platform for email, calendaring, and other functionalities. With this in mind, students have free access to the Google suite of applications (Mail, Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Drive, etc).

    Students must claim their ACCMail account in order to have access to the Google Workspace.

    Adobe Creative Cloud

    All ACC students are eligible to purchase a semester-based Adobe Creative Cloud licenses at a substantial discount of $50 per semester. Students who are enrolled in a course that requires the use of Adobe Creative Cloud are eligible to purchase licenses for $10 per semester. Students must have claimed their official ACC email address before attempting to purchase Adobe at the discounted rate.

    For more information and to access Adobe licensing, visit the ACC Adobe website.

    Microsoft Office 365

    Current ACC students are eligible to install Microsoft Office 365 for free on personally-owned devices. Office 365 includes access to popular applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Visit the Microsoft website for more information about what is included in Office 365.

    To claim your free copy of Microsoft Office 365 please follow the steps in this knowledge base article.

    OnTheHub (powered by Kivuto)

    OnTheHub offers a variety of discounted software to ACC students.

    To access OnTheHub, click this link to login with your ACC eID & password. Upon successful login, students can browse the software inventory or use the search box to find specific software.

    **This information is being provided as informational only. Austin Community College does not control the software availability or pricing.**

• Internet Access

  • Austin Community College does not have hotspots or other cellular devices available for student checkout. However, there are alternatives for accessing reliable internet.

    Campus Parking Lots

    IT Services has made available drive-up wifi for students to utilize in parking lots on several campuses. Information about campus availability and parking lot maps can be found on the COVID-19 Drive-up WiFi webpage.

    Affordable Connectivity Program (formerly the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program)

    The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

    The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

    The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

    **This information is being provided as informational only. Austin Community College is not involved in enrolling or supporting those who are interested in participating in this program.**

• Technology Support

  • Student Technology Services wants to ensure you have the proper support to use those devices. Phone support and one-on-one training are provided.

    Request Support

    Student Technology Services provides technology-related support to students through phone, email, and live chat. Our hours of operation for technology support can be found on the side of this page.

    • To request phone support please contact the Student Help Desk at 512-223-4636 and select option 8.
    • To request live chat support, please use the link on the right side of this page.
    • To request email support, please initiate a request through this form.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to connect a bluetooth keyboard to your iPad
2. How do you create an Apple ID to download my own iPad apps?
3. What resources are available for me to learn how to use my iPad?