2008 Woodie Awards
Book Grant Offers Students Opportunity to Save Cash
Sose Frankyan
Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Many students do not have the means and resources to pay for textbooks and there is a need for something to be done to help them with the costs.
The Book Assistance Program helps qualified students pay for a portion of their textbooks.
Applicants for the program must be Board of Governor fee waiver (BOG) eligible students or qualify as AB 540 or be an international student and currently have a minimum 2.5 G.P.A. Also, they need to be enrolled in a minimum of six academic units, have completed the English and Math Placement Tests, completed a GCC Orientation session and have met with a counselor to complete a Student Educational Plan (SEP).
The campus offers students various ways to pay for textbooks. The Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) funded by California, offers book vouchers for low-income and educationally disadvantaged students. However, applicants must be California residents, be a full-time student, have completed less than 30 units in order to enter the program and must qualify for BOG "A" or "B." Upon completion of 70 units and/or six semesters students no longer qualify for EOPS.
"The international and AB 540 students do not get any financial aid at all and often times struggle to pay for college fees," said Susan Dougherty, the success network coordinator. AB 540 students are those who have attended a high school in California for three years or more and have graduated from a California high school.
Another option to pay for textbooks is the Emergency Student Book Loan offered by the Associated Students of Glendale Community College (ASGCC) where students can get a loan of $100 per semester. Students have 30 days to repay the loan.
According to Dougherty, "Many students stopped attending school because they were not able to afford the books."
In the past two decades the textbook prices have nearly doubled at a rate of inflation. This has discouraged many students to attend college since they also need to worry about paying for tuition on top of textbooks.
The Book Assistance Program helps qualified students pay for a portion of their textbooks.
Applicants for the program must be Board of Governor fee waiver (BOG) eligible students or qualify as AB 540 or be an international student and currently have a minimum 2.5 G.P.A. Also, they need to be enrolled in a minimum of six academic units, have completed the English and Math Placement Tests, completed a GCC Orientation session and have met with a counselor to complete a Student Educational Plan (SEP).
The campus offers students various ways to pay for textbooks. The Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) funded by California, offers book vouchers for low-income and educationally disadvantaged students. However, applicants must be California residents, be a full-time student, have completed less than 30 units in order to enter the program and must qualify for BOG "A" or "B." Upon completion of 70 units and/or six semesters students no longer qualify for EOPS.
"The international and AB 540 students do not get any financial aid at all and often times struggle to pay for college fees," said Susan Dougherty, the success network coordinator. AB 540 students are those who have attended a high school in California for three years or more and have graduated from a California high school.
Another option to pay for textbooks is the Emergency Student Book Loan offered by the Associated Students of Glendale Community College (ASGCC) where students can get a loan of $100 per semester. Students have 30 days to repay the loan.
According to Dougherty, "Many students stopped attending school because they were not able to afford the books."
In the past two decades the textbook prices have nearly doubled at a rate of inflation. This has discouraged many students to attend college since they also need to worry about paying for tuition on top of textbooks.
Be the first to comment on this story