Our Crowdfunding Groups
Our crowdfunding campaign has ended. You can still support the Books for Bruins fund by clicking here.
The Academic Affairs Commission (AAC) is currently made up of 27 student leaders that have committed themselves to the fight against academic inequity. AAC is a commission of the Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) and was established in 1965 to enhance access and retention for communities of color. Now we continue to serve as student representatives to create and critique academic policy at UCLA and have new goals to make campus more equitable for all. One of these goals involves the issue of course material accessibility and affordability and the fact that hundreds of low-income students struggle to pay for textbooks even after financial aid is disbursed.
AAC has worked with the campus community to help improve textbook accessibility for our fellow Bruins. We worked with the Library to increase the amount of time given to students to check out Course Reserves. These are course materials that were lent for two hours before AAC proposed for the lending period to increase to three hours. Unfortunately, not all classes partner with the Library, so Course Reserves are not the solution to every student’s situation. We also work with the Academic Senate to always stress to faculty the importance of providing textbook pdf's, online accessible materials, and low-cost alternatives to course readers. Still, it remains that thousands of students must buy access codes in addition to course books, and these costs can add up quickly.
AAC’s solution to this problem is our quarterly book subsidy program, Books for Bruins. By applying for one of our Books for Bruins textbook grants, students can be reimbursed for the money they spent on course materials for up to $150. Although our efforts have been impactful, convincing professors to convert textbooks to pdfs does not come close to the impact Books for Bruins has. To provide books/course materials for a countless number of Bruins, we need your support through a financial donation. A donation of any amount can help support a student to get the required materials for their courses and alleviate some of the financial stress caused by this pandemic.
Here's a breakdown of what your donation goes toward:
To give you an idea of what your donations would fund, we've provided a breakdown of the ultimate goals we have to keep Books with Bruins funded. To us, a successful and impactful textbook subsidy program takes into account that while some students only need $25, some may need the full $150. We carefully looked at the amounts disbursed previously by last year's AAC, and we determined that 40 disbursements of $100, 35 disbursements of $75, 97 disbursements of $50, and 100 disbursements of $25 gift cards would maximize our impact each quarter. We currently have $3,975 allotted for Books for Bruins each quarter. Our goal is to add an additional $10,000 through this campaign and other events/activities (follow us on Instagram for more details)!
You can donate today to help us achieve that goal and financially support the next generation of doctors, lawyers, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, engineers, scientists, etc. There is no limit to what Bruins can achieve, especially when we have the support of our communities!
UCLA parents, your enthusiasm and love is part of what makes us confident enough to take our first strides into our professional development. UCLA Alumni, your legacy and extraordinary commitment to support the next generation of Bruins have always inspired us. Westwood and LA residents, we are in your debt for the amazing community you so often invite us to be active participants in. From your businesses to your cheers at the Rose Bowl, you all never go unnoticed. And you certainly would not go unnoticed for your donation to Books for Bruins.
Students that choose UCLA may have done so because of a variety of factors, including distance from home, affordability, and the food! Taking into account that such factors are all connected to location, and therefore community, it is no wonder that each aspect of student life is interconnected here at our campus. With such complexity, we understand that our extended Bruin family may not be aware of the other costs students must cover. Your donation will cover these items:
Thank you for being interested in learning more about the course materials we are responsible for acquiring as we finish our undergraduate education! You can make a difference in the life of a Bruin today with a donation of any amount!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE UCLA FOUNDATION'S DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS FOR DONORS.
Help us unleash generosity today, #GivingTuesday. Even $1 makes a difference!
A $15 donation can help a student buy a book for their GE class, to thank you for your support we will send you an e-postcard written by one of our team members. (A tax-deductible donation of $15.)
A $25 donation will help a student purchase their course reader for a class, as a thank you for your generosity we will send you a handwritten letter. Decorated and sent with all of our gratitude! (Tax deductible donation of $25.)
A $50 donation would help an art student purchase a sketch notebook, to thank you for your support we will send you a handwritten letter and two of our special AAC stickers! (A tax-deductible donation of $46.)
A $100 donation can help a STEM student purchase access codes for their online science courses. To thank you for your generosity we will send you a handwritten letter, 2 of our stickers, and a beautiful shoutout on our Instagram stories. (A tax-deductible donation of $96.)
A $150 donation can help 6-8 students buy paperback books for their English classes, to thank you for your support we will send you a handwritten letter and a print of an AAC graphic. (A tax-deductible donation of $138.)
A $200 donation can help 6-7 Physics students purchase an access code for Mastering Physics. As a thank you for your generosity, we will send you a handwritten letter, a couple of our stickers, and a print of an AAC Graphic. ( A tax deductible donation of $184.)
A $500 dollar donation can help anywhere from 5-20 students buy their books. To thank you for this generous donation, we will send you a handwritten letter, a few of our stickers, and dedicate a very special post to you on our social media accounts/advertise your organization or business. (Fully tax deductible)
A $1,000 donation would help 10-40 students depending on their need. To thank you for your donation, we will send you a handwritten letter, a few of our stickers, and make you your own graphic. This can be a graphic that features a picture of you, your business, or a cause you care about. You can also tell us more of what you want on it to get the most out of your support! (Fully tax deductible)