Seton Hill Students Get MacBooks in $2.2M AI Grant

First-year students in technical programs at Seton Hill will receive MacBook Pro computers as part of a five-year AI learning project.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Financial Aid

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a closed silver laptop on a wooden surface, with soft rolling hills visible through a window behind it. — Seton Hill University received a $2.2 million federal grant to give first-year technical students MacBook Pro computers and build a locally hosted AI learning environment. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The U.S. Department of Education awarded Seton Hill University a $2.2 million grant to fund WISE Local AI, a five-year project that expands AI learning and builds a locally hosted AI environment on campus. First-year students in cybersecurity, computer science, data analytics and applied sciences will receive MacBook Pro computers under the project.

Why it matters

The grant targets the cost and access barriers to AI-focused technical training by putting hardware and a secure learning environment directly in students' hands. It also builds employer partnerships in the region, aiming to connect students to jobs in AI, technology, healthcare and business.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded Seton Hill University $2.2 million for the five-year WISE Local AI project. First-year students studying cybersecurity, computer science, data analytics and applied sciences will receive MacBook Pro computers under the grant.

The players

Seton Hill University

A private university in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, serving Westmoreland County, which received the grant and will host the project.

U.S. Department of Education

The federal agency that awarded the $2.2 million grant to fund the WISE Local AI project.

The details

The MacBook Pro computers are designed to run AI capabilities on the student's own device rather than relying on cloud-based services. Alongside the hardware, Seton Hill will build a secure, locally hosted AI learning environment on campus. A committee of Seton Hill faculty, staff and administrators will oversee implementation, and the university has added an AI minor as part of its expanded AI offerings.

The WISE Local AI project runs over a five-year period.

Education Landscape

The grant reflects a broader push in higher education to add AI training to technical programs as employers in healthcare, business and technology seek graduates with AI skills. Placing hardware directly in students' hands addresses access gaps that often limit hands-on technical learning.

First-year students in cybersecurity, computer science, data analytics and applied sciences at Seton Hill should ask the admissions or financial-aid office how the MacBook Pro distribution works. Students interested in AI training can also ask whether the new AI minor fits their program plans.

The takeaway

Grant-funded technology programs can reduce the upfront cost of specialized training, so students should ask their school which hardware or resources are included. Confirm eligibility and distribution details directly with Seton Hill's financial-aid office.