This is a definite game changer!
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is partnering with education and technology company Cengage, to offer free textbooks to students at historically Black colleges and universities.
For the last 75 years the UNCF has awarded scholarships to Black students, provided funding for HBCUs and advocated for minority education and community engagement across the U.S. Now they’ve teamed up with Cengage, the Netflix of educational content, to provide free textbooks to 1,000 qualified students at HBCUs through their semester long Cengage Unlimited subscription, NewsOne reports.
According to Cengage, purchasing textbooks in college is the leading cause of stress for students. Because of the mounting stress of finances, 60% of Black students choose to just not buy their required textbooks or course material. From textbooks to student loans, the expenses can be too much for a student whose primary focus should be learning. The average cost of a textbook is about $153 per course and the average student spends about $1200 a year on books and materials alone according to CBS News. This new initiative hopes to relieve some of that burden.
Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage, said “Every student should have an equal opportunity to succeed, and having the right learning materials can have a critical impact on performance.” Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF, echoed his sentiments in a statement saying, “We must continue to invest our time and money in better futures for young people around the country [and] we [are] pleased to have [Cengage] as an ally in helping to educate the next generation of leaders.”
In order to qualify for the program, HBCU students must be of African descent, have a minimum 2.5 GPA, give proof of financial need, and submit an essay and letter of recommendation. The deadline for the 2019 fall semester is August 29th and the application for the 2020 spring semester opens up November 4th.
You can find more information about the program and apply here.
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