Seton Hill University, a Catholic liberal-arts university based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, has announced plans to give an Apple iPad to every full-time student in fall 2010.

According to the school:

The iPad initiative kicks off the University’s Griffin Technology Advantage Program. This new program provides students with the best in technology and collaborative learning tools, ensuring that Seton Hill students will be uniquely suited to whatever careers they choose – even those that have not yet been created.

This announcement comes so early – before the iPad is established and before we know what books will be available on the device – that this seems more like an iGimmick to generate buzz for the school than the start of a new trend.

With the release of the iPad, though, it suddenly seems insane for students to be spending $400 a semester on textbooks.