Lee College in Baytown this summer is waiving all tuition and fees, and will cover the cost of electronic textbooks for all residents who live inside the district, are recent or 2020 high school graduates from high schools within Lee College’s district, are attending classes in the Spring 2020 semester currently, or have recently become unemployed.
In a video message posted to Lee College’s Facebook page, Lee College President Linda Villanueva shared the good news.
“Although these days are full of worry and uncertainty, my message today is about hopes and dreams. I know many of you are worried because many of you or someone in your family has lost a job, and you wonder how you are going to afford college,” Villanueva said. “Right now the innovation that this community needs is free college, and that’s what Lee College is going to offer you this summer. You may not be able to go off to university and live in a dormitory, and you may not have as much income as you did before the pandemic, but you can afford to go to Lee College.”
The courses will be online but will be in two formats – one will be a traditional online class with prerecorded lectures that students can view on their own schedule and the other will be more like face-to-face classes with live lectures where students can ask questions and be part of classroom discussions. The college will also have tutors available to help students who need assistance in math, English and other courses.
Recent or 2020 high school graduates from Goose Creek, Anahuac, Barbers Hill, Baytown Christian Academy, Crosby, Chrysalis Private School of Liberty, Dayton, Devers, East Chambers, Hardin, Hardin-Jefferson, Huffman, Hull-Daisetta, Kountze, Liberty, Premier High School of Dayton, and West Hardin qualify for the program.
With access to technology an issue for some students, Lee College has a program to provide laptops and hotspots.
To apply for classes or to learn more about cash grants to students that Lee College is awarding to help cover expenses related to the COVID-19 outbreak, go online to LeeCollegeCares.org.
“The coronavirus may be in our way, but we are innovating around it,” Villanueva said.