Ac tually, it's not terribly uncommon for schools in the US to give freshman laptops. Our tuition for college is pretty high, so they can basically just tack it on to their tuition. I got to a private college and tuition there is $10,000 per semester. AND there are two semesters per year. AND that is just tuition, not books, fees, or room abd board. These schools also have agreements stuidents need to sign that say if you stop being a student there before such and such a year, then you need to pay them back so and so much for the computer. Therefore, they really only need to add like $500 per year. In the realm of $20,000, it's barely notciable.
Oh yes, and for $20,000 my school DOES NOT include the computer. I bought my laptop myself. Several schools I applied to did have this deal, and for every student, not just those with certain grades.
Also, keep in mind universities in the US generally have to work harder to attract students, so they laptop is just another incentive for handing of your tuition money to them. Yes, state schools are the same. I used to go to a state school, and I swear I spent more there than I do now at my private school.
My reward for good grades in high school was that I am on a near-full scholarship now.
