CSCC Students Save $1.7 Million Through the Digital Engagement Initiative

Napierra Alexander
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 12:00 AM
Community, All, Students

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Cleveland State Community College is helping students save money on coursework materials. Students now have the option to purchase online textbooks through the Digital Engagement Initiative (DEI). This initiative has saved students approximately $1.7 million since 2019. 

DEI started in the summer of 2019 and continues into the new semester. The first semester starting the initiative saved students approximately $25,000 and has grown to students saving approximately $465,000 in one semester. Traditional textbook purchases can cost students hundreds of dollars, but the online textbooks that are offered to CSCC students are all under $100. 

The online textbooks allow students to listen to the textbook on their phone as well as read and take notes on a digital copy on their computer. The books usually come with videos, study aids, quizzes, and other educational materials the college incorporates into the classes to help students learn.

“Studies show that students who have immediate access to low cost course materials from the first day of class have better retention and success rates,” stated Dr. Barsha Pickell, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “They can hit the ground running and not get behind in their coursework.  In addition to saving students over one million dollars since beginning the Digital Engagement Initiative, students have also had access to the materials they needed on the first day of class, allowing instruction to begin immediately. This is a win-win for students and faculty and is vital to our student success.”

Listed below is a breakdown of how much students saved using online textbooks: 

Summer 2019 - $24,981.20

Fall 2019 - $436,122.55

Spring 2020 - $344,968.20

Summer 2020 - $61,435.60

Fall 2020 - $465,213.09

Spring 2021 - $312,590.85

Summer 2021 - $71,817.35

TOTAL SAVINGS - $1,717,128.84

For more information on Cleveland State Community College, visit the website at clevelandstatecc.edu or email clscc_info@clevelandstatecc.edu. If you are interested in applying, visit mycs.cc/applynow. Students are currently enrolled online and on-campus through the CSCC main campus in Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as CSCC’s Athens Center in Athens, Tennessee and Monroe County Center in Vonore, Tennessee.

CSCC earned the Tennessee Board of Regent’s 2019 College of The Year. CSCC directly serves Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, and Polk Counties in Tennessee. The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving more than 140,000 students.