Pikes Peak Community College is offering free required textbooks for all students seeking a degree or certificate during the 2021-2022 academic year, according to a Monday news release.

The college, in partnership with educational tech company Slingshot, is making an effort to alleviate student financial burdens that were worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to school president Lance Bolton. Students can save an average of $1,000 on textbooks this year, officials said.

“We are systematically taking away every barrier to education,” Bolton said. “We have 10 times more financial aid than ever before; we have more advisors, tutors and success coaches to help students succeed; and now we have free textbooks, so students can actually be ready to hit the ground running when classes start. This is huge.”

Pikes Peak Community College graduates first-ever class of bachelor's degree nursing students

The pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of American life for more than a year, and the economic impact has hampered many people’s ability to further their education, officials said. About 65% of U.S. college students could not afford to buy all the textbooks they needed last year, according to a national survey by Student Public Interest Research Groups.

In addition to providing financial relief, the college aims to help improve academic performance by ensuring students have the materials they need from the first day of class, the release stated.

“Partnering with Pikes Peak Community College to offer free course materials to their students aligns with our commitment of removing barriers to learning,” said Slingshot president Josh Peters. “Having the right materials before the first day of class at no additional cost will positively impact students.”

Slingshot, which is based in Indiana, has similar partnerships with more than three dozen colleges and universities across the U.S., a company spokesman told The Gazette.

High school students who are concurrently taking classes at the community college are not eligible for the offer, the release stated. Most of those students have their textbooks paid for by their respective school districts.

Pikes Peak Community College graduates first-ever class of bachelor's degree nursing students