Loaner Management
A loaner is an assignment with an end date. Issue it against a student, let the device show them when it is due, soft-lock it if it goes overdue, and see what is out per building without counting a shelf.
What it does
Most districts run loaners on trust and a sheet of paper. It works until spring, when the pool is mostly out, nobody can say which loans are overdue or which student is on their third, and the count of spares in the cage is a guess.
In UserAuthGuard a loaner is a real assignment with an end date. Issue it and the device is assigned to the borrower, with their own device remembered so the swap can be undone, and placed in the Loaners OU, which can carry its own rules. The borrower sees which loaner they hold and when it is due in the UserAuthGuard extension on the Chromebook itself, and is reminded before the date. When the end date passes the loan expires on schedule; if you have turned on soft lock, an overdue loaner shows a return notice instead of the desktop until it is scanned back in.
Returns record the condition and notes, so damage is attached to the loan and the borrower. A recurring loaner report per building can be emailed to the administrators you name: outstanding versus returned, overdue, and repeat borrowers. Because loans, repair tickets and the student’s own device are one system, issuing a loaner when a repair opens and reclaiming it when the repair closes is one action.
- ✓ An assignment with an end dateThe borrower is set as the device’s user for the loan and their own device is remembered, so the swap reverses cleanly.
- ✓ The due date on the deviceShown in the extension on the Chromebook, with a reminder before the date. Nothing depends on a student reading an email.
- ✓ Soft lock for overdue loanersOptional and per district. An overdue loaner shows a return notice instead of the desktop until it comes back.
- ✓ Condition at returnReturns are recorded with condition and notes, so damage is tied to the loan rather than found in the cage later.
- ✓ A recurring report for principalsPer building, emailed on a schedule to the administrators you name: outstanding, overdue, repeat borrowers. No login required.
- ✓ Its own OULoaners sit in a Loaners OU with its own rules, such as no overnight lock for short-term loans.
Requires
- The Enterprise plan. Loaners are part of 1:1 assignment.
- The UserAuthGuard extension force-installed on student Chromebooks for the on-device due date, reminder and soft lock. Loans can be tracked without it.
Does not
- Lock devices by default. Soft lock is a district setting; some districts choose reminders only.
- Change the student’s filtering or safety alerts. Those follow the student’s account, so a student on a loaner is covered exactly as on their own device.
- Call parents. The report tells a building who still has a loaner; the follow-up is the building’s.
Where it fits
Repair-day loaners
A device goes to the bench, a loaner goes out against the same ticket, and it is reclaimed when the repair closes. The student is never without a device and the spare never goes missing.
The spring crunch
Peak loaner season is when a paper process fails. Outstanding counts per building, an overdue list and optional soft lock keep the pool circulating.
End-of-year reconciliation
Device Return reconciles the loaner pool alongside the 1:1 fleet, so loans do not quietly become losses over the summer.
Frequently asked questions
How does a student know their loaner is due back?
On the Chromebook. The UserAuthGuard extension shows which loaner they hold and its due date, and reminds them before the date.
What happens when a loaner goes overdue?
The loan expires on its end date and shows as overdue in the dashboard and the report. If soft lock is turned on for your district, the device also shows a return notice instead of the desktop until it is returned. Soft lock is optional.
Can principals see loaner activity without logging in?
Yes. Schedule a recurring loaner report per building and it is emailed to the administrators you name: who is holding loaners, outstanding versus returned, and repeat borrowers.
Does a loaner affect the student's normal filtering and monitoring?
No. Filtering, keyword safety alerts and classroom visibility follow the student’s account, not the hardware, so a student on a loaner is covered exactly as on their own device.
How is condition tracked when a loaner comes back?
The return records a condition and notes against the loan, so damage is attached to the borrower at the time rather than discovered later in the cage.
Know what is out, and when it is due
Loaner Management is part of the Enterprise plan, priced per student, à la carte. Start free first: the gap report lists every device with no owner and every student with no device.