This year, our Lenten Gift to MassBay Community College Foundation’s Essential Needs Fund for Textbook Assistance will help students prepare for a successful future regardless of economic barriers. Throughout Lent, in the bulletin and on the website, we will share this story with you as we prepare for our collaborative-wide Special Second Collection 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.”
Food or textbooks. You can’t learn on an empty stomach. And you can’t pass without the book. Basic needs have to come first, but the choice is stressful.
“Paying for textbooks, transportation, and school supplies is difficult, and I often have to prioritize essentials over academic resources. The stress of financial uncertainty also affects my mental well-being, as there is a lot at stake if I fall behind. Despite these challenges, I stay motivated because I know education is my pathway to long-term stability and the ability to support myself and my family.”
-Shazad, majoring in General Studies with the goal of applying to MassBay’s nursing program.
When students do not have their textbooks books at the start of the semester, they fall behind very quickly. MassBay experience shows that students who do not get their books within the first few weeks of class are much more likely to drop out.
Textbooks should never be the reason a student has to put their education on hold.
Next week, we will share how our Lenten Gift will help the MassBay community to remove this barrier.