Textbook Financial Assistance Program
- SSSC Western
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Written by: Dylan Thompson, President
As wages remain stagnant and the cost of student life is increasing at an unsustainable rate for some students, they are finding it increasingly difficult to afford post secondary education and the additional costs that come with it. According to the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, in a 10-year period between 2006 and 2016, the cost of textbooks increased at a rate four times higher than inflation.
Furthermore, mandating the purchase of textbooks to access paywalled course assessments creates accessibility barriers and removes cost-effective alternatives such as second-hand textbooks.
In addition, high costs of course materials can limit a student’s academic performance. A study from 2017 found that 66% of students have not purchased course materials due to the significant cost . In post-secondary education, success should be derived from the intellectual capabilities of a student, and shouldn’t be disadvantaged due to limited access to financial resources.
As a result, the Social Science Students’ Council (SSSC) has identified textbook costs as a significant barrier faced by many students in our faculty. To address the issue, the SSSC has developed a program that will reimburse students for a portion of their textbook expenditures using SDF resources.
Applicants interested in participating in the program will fill out the form below:
Applicants must also submit a screenshot of their program found on their unofficial transcript on the Student Center portal to verify their status as a Social Science student:
You can do this by following the steps below:
Login to Student Center: https://student.uwo.ca/psp/heprdweb/?&
Go to View and Order Documents
On the left hand side, select View Unofficial Transcript
On the unofficial transcript page, ensure Unofficial Transcript is selected, and press Submit
A PDF should pop up in a new tab
Take a screenshot from the top right corner down to where it says: Plan: Bachelor of (program here)
Through this reimbursement program, the Social Science Students’ Council aims to provide meaningful financial support to students who need it most and help ensure that all students have fair access to the resources required for their education.
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