Get computing power for class today, at no cost!

Are you a U.S.-based student, teaching assistant (TA), instructor, or faculty member who needs computing for class? Then you’re already eligible to lead an ACCESS project.

Are you struggling against the limits of the computer power available to you? For example, does your laptop have difficulty with large datasets, or are LLMs running too slowly for your needs? The ACCESS program offers a powerful solution, providing advanced computing services to students and instructors at no cost.

Established and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the ACCESS program is specifically designed to advance teaching and learning, and research by removing the barriers to using advanced computational resources.

For any project, large or small, ACCESS makes a variety of computing resources and support services available to you completely free of charge.

ACCESS For All College Students

Regardless of your school, personal background, field of study, or level of previous experience, all college students have equal access to high-powered computing—without financial barriers, red tape, or technical difficulty.

A personal laptop is not usually ideal for data-intensive courses. On top of that, it can be incredibly frustrating to try to install the required software for your laptop, encountering tech problem after tech problem. Likewise, for faculty members and TAs, their time is valuable—and instead of helping students learn and understand the curriculum, they may need to spend all their time on tech support.

The mission of ACCESS is to level the playing field and remove the barriers between college students and high-powered computing—with no-cost shared computational and data resources.

For the Classroom and Campus

  • No cost to you. These resources come at no cost to either instructors or students.
  • Simplify classroom onboarding. ACCESS uses just one interface to offer many resources and tools, so everyone gets connected quickly and easily.
  • No student installs required. Students can quickly find and use available tools through an intuitive catalog, which schools can simply add to their websites.
  • Instructor-managed hubs. Instructors can control dedicated student environments, making setup and use easy.
  • More power to learn. With powerful ACCESS resources, students can tackle complex and intensive tasks far beyond the capabilities of a standard laptop.
  • Let students conduct research. Students can gain meaningful, research experience through ACCESS.
  • ACCESS handles tech support. Since ACCESS provides centralized tech support, instructors and TAs do not need to field students’ technical questions and troubleshooting issues.
  • One platform, numerous users. ACCESS systems support many students at the same time, with near-immediate access.

Computing that Matters

ACCESS provides instructors and students a direct path to using computing that matters. When LLMs run slowly or simulations demand more processing power, ACCESS is a powerful solution. With approval often available in 24 hours, these resources help your class push the boundaries of inquiries, from data analysis to complex modeling.

Exchange Credits on a Variety of Resources

ACCESS offers four types of projects to choose from, ensuring a great fit for your specific needs. Classroom allocations and graduate student projects can choose the EXPLORE project type; once you receive credits, you can use them on any ACCESS resources.

No project is too big or too small. Visit allocations.access-ci.org/project-types , or allocations.access-ci.org/get-your-first-project to begin exchanging credits and get started today. Instructors, visit our dedicated page: access-ci.org/get-started/for-educators . Want to learn more about what ACCESS resources can do? Check out our resource catalog allocations.access-ci.org/resources . Are you ready to start with these powerful, no-cost resources today? Visit allocations.access-ci.org .

The ACCESS program is always looking to get better at helping you. For feedback or specific questions, fill out our convenient feedback form. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://access-ci.org/contact .