Grant Establishes Textbook Lending Library at HCC Written by Kerry Anne Ducey Housatonic Community College (HCC) is easing the burden of textbook costs for low-income students thanks to a grant from The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts (SFFEA) for the creation of a new Textbook Lending Library. The Textbook Lending Library will help HCC students obtain required textbooks for Continuing Education courses in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math)–materials that students would otherwise find cost-prohibitive. Students pursuing these courses such as medical coding, human anatomy and biology, and STEM pathway certificates are ineligible for financial aid. Paying out-of-pocket presents numerous challenges for low-income students seeking the education and skills to obtain better paying jobs and a career path. The majority of HCC’s student body are low-income and often juggle school, multiple jobs, and family obligations. While higher education is a path to break the cycle of poverty, the number of students facing financial stress is astounding.