Students at Lake Michigan College facing financial hardship and having difficulty purchasing books for classes have received a boost from the Berrien Community Foundation.

LMC Vice President of Community Impact Doug Shaffer tells us a generous donor to the BCF has made it possible to establish an Emergency Book Fund. It’ll pay for a student’s books at the LMC bookstore.

Schaffer says textbooks for students can be quite expensive, depending on the program they’re in.

“If you’re in the health sciences or have a class load that has more science classes, those tend to be more expensive than a general studies class schedule,” Schaffer said. “But we often hear that students pay anywhere from $300 to $500, depending on their schedule, to as much as $700 to $800 per semester.”

Schaffer says the Emergency Book Fund has already been implemented, and he’s heard of a few students using it. The $50,000 made available by the Berrien Community Foundation will keep the program in place at least for the full school year.

Schaffer also notes the fund can be used to reimburse students who purchased their books from locations other than the LMC bookstore.

LMC students wishing to take advantage of the emergency book fund can apply online at lakemichigancollege.edu/mylmc/student-affairs/ssf. Students can also e-mail Susan Eastman at seastman@lakemichigancollege.edu with questions.