MassBay Community College Textbook Assistance Fund
through the MassBay Community College Foundation
Special Second Collection: March 21-22
Students at community colleges tend to be stretched thin between a multitude of obligations and financial strains. Many are faced each semester with a choice between purchasing the required textbooks for their courses or being able to make their rent, car, or utility payments.
The MassBay Community College Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, raises funds to support the important work of the college and provide resources to help students succeed. Our gift to the MassBay Community College Foundation for Student Essential Needs in support of the Textbook Assistance Fund will help students prepare for a successful future regardless of economic barriers.
Throughout Lent we will share their story with you below and in the bulletin as we prepare for our collaborative-wide Special Second Collection on the weekend of March 21-22.
When people think about the cost of college, they usually think about tuition. For many MassBay students, tuition is only part of the cost. The bigger challenges, that make learning hard, often include transportation to and from campus, heat, health care, access to food, a safe place to live, and textbooks. Books often cost $100-$300 per book each semester. Students often tell us, “I had to choose between buying groceries and buying textbooks.” When students do not have their textbooks books at the start of the semester, they fall behind very quickly. MassBay data shows that students who do not ...
Many of us picture college in a familiar way. We think of dorm rooms, meal plans, walking to class, and maybe a part-time job for extra money. For those who went to college this way, the basics were covered, and that made learning easier. For most students at MassBay Community College, college looks very different. These students balance more than schoolwork. Many are working full or part-time jobs. Some are raising children or caring for parents. Many are doing all of this at once. They travel to campus with full lives behind them and show up ready to learn ...
Each year, in preparing for Lent, we reach out as a community to one particular place of need through our Lenten Gift. This year, we will stay very close to home, reaching into our own backyard to help students at our local community college be able to focus on their studies without undue financial stress. Students at community colleges tend to be stretched thin between a multitude of obligations and financial strains ...
