Reading Time: 1 Minute. The sudden shift to online education in 2020 highlighted many disparities in higher-education, intensifying the focus of affordability. The cost of higher education is not just about tuition and housing. Students’ financial stress can be a major factor in increasing their risk of failure. Textbooks and other course material can also play a significant role in increasing their financial stress. What solutions can institutions find that don’t compromise quality, as they face increasing pressure to make learning more affordable?
The pandemic has brought chaos to higher education but it has also opened up opportunities to explore new strategies for addressing the affordability crisis. Instructors were forced to adapt new teaching strategies to digital environments due to mass migration to remote learning. Institutions across the country are changing their traditional approach to course materials and switching to digital models that offer better access and affordability for students as well as faculty.
Administrators at Ivy Tech Community College were concerned about affordability because they knew the potential obstacles it could present for students.
“We know that about 25% of students don’t buy their textbooks,” says Dominick Chase, Vice President of Finance at Ivy Tech. Many of our students have to choose between buying textbooks or food, says Dominick Chase (Vice President of Finance and Strategic Sourcing) at Ivy Tech.

You can read the full article at Higher Ed Dive to learn about emerging course models and how institutions such as Ivy Tech are implementing innovative ways to make their students’ education more affordable.
Are you interested in providing affordable access for your institution?