Creating Pathways to Zero-Textbook Cost Degrees for Bay Area Students

The Michelson 20MM Foundation has awarded a Michelson Spark Grant to the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education  in support of their efforts to prepare Bay Area community colleges to effectively apply for and utilize ZTC funds.

 

Addressing Wage Disparities

While Bay Area community colleges have long engaged in innovative OER projects (open education resources), their efforts have generally not deliberately included degree or certificate programs that position graduates for success in the highest paying, highest demand Bay Area careers—including computing, architectural and engineering, and healthcare.

In 2016, with the exception of a few colleges, nearly all of the ZTC degrees developed were in programs such as child development, sociology, and general education—fields that do not address Bay Area wage disparities, wherein 68% of Black and 72% of Latino residents are low income, compared to 35% of White residents.

If Black and Latinx students have equitable access to programs in high-wage, high-demand fields across more colleges, and are drawn to and persist in those programs, their chances for entering those fields and becoming high-wage earners also increases.

Phil Kim, Michelson 20MM CEO

Phillip Kim

“With the state of California massively expanding the ZTC program, our foundation is proud to partner with ISKME to ensure that these funds are used to better the lives of students, both while they are in school and after graduation.” — Phillip Kim, CEO of Michelson 20M

The Impact of California’s Investment

An investment in ZTC and OER allows students to focus on their education, rather than what that education would cost. In 2020, U.S. PIRG surveyed more than 5,000 college students and found that 65% reported skipping buying a textbook because of cost.

Yet 90% of students reported feeling concerned that not purchasing materials would negatively impact their grade. Recent surveys have shown that 25% of college students needed to work extra hours to afford course materials.

Additionally, 19% said that they decided what course to take based on the cost of materials. Those costs forced one in nine students surveyed to skip meals. These stresses have only been exacerbated since the onset of the COVID-10 pandemic.

Read more about creating pathways for Bay Area students here.

Aug 4, 2021 | 20 Million Minds, News