High textbook and course material costs can be a barrier to learning for many students, especially those receiving financial aid. To address this reality, we created the Buy the Book campaign, a month-long campaign that inspired donors to fund textbooks and course materials for Swarthmore students during January term and spring semester. The Buy the Book campaign funded Swarthmore's brand new Textbook Affordability Program, which provides a book grant to cover the cost of required texts and resources for any course students choose to take.
From the Judges
What a creative and original way to support students during the pandemic. The Buy the Book campaign contributes to access and equity, as it relates to some of the hidden costs associated with attending higher education. With the onslaught of the pandemic, this campaign further supports student's needs, as it relates to acquiring class textbooks from various majors and departments. We were especially impressed with how 43% of donors increased their giving over the previous fiscal year and how 11% of donors that gave to this campaign were first-time donors.
