UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa — Barnes and Noble College (BNC) — a Barnes and Noble Education company that operates the Penn State Bookstore — has continued its longtime partnership with the University and the Penn State Corporate Engagement Center to award a 2024-25 round of grants supporting a range of programs and initiatives across the commonwealth.
Since BNC launched the grant program in 2015, more than $1.4 million has been awarded to priorities that directly benefit the University community, with a focus on programs related to books and reading. This year, the grant program distributed $165,000 across 11 University initiatives from nine Penn State campuses.
“Barnes and Noble College continues to be an outstanding partner in furthering Penn State’s educational mission across the communities we serve,” said Margo DelliCarpini, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor at Penn State. “These grants allow academic leaders throughout the University to pursue ambitious and innovative ideas for engaging students and supporting their success.”
To target its investments for maximum impact across Penn State’s colleges and campuses, Barnes and Noble College works through the Corporate Engagement Center to announce the grant program and facilitate funding requests and awards. This latest call for proposals resulted in 38 requests.
“This year’s submissions were some of the best we’ve received since the inception of the philanthropic competition,” said Cathy Pacheco, director, stores for Barnes & Noble College.
The following initiatives were selected to receive funding:
Penn State Abington: Engineering Ahead Summer Bridge Program
Engineering Ahead at Penn State Abington and Penn State Berks started in 2016 as a National Science Foundation-funded project designed to address the national need to diversify the STEM workforce. The goal of Engineering Ahead is to increase recruitment and retention among students from communities underrepresented in engineering.
Penn State Abington: Increasing Educational Equity via Access to Digital Courseware
As textbook publishing evolves into subscription models, particularly in STEM fields, the purchase of course materials has become a significant barrier to educational success for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The grant will help students to obtain access to digital course materials, thereby increasing educational equity on the University’s most diverse campus.
Penn State Beaver: Mental Health and Neurodiversity
As the number of students with identified mental health and neurodiversity support needs grows, Penn State Beaver will use grant funding to increase its collection of related books and resources, create reading groups, offer training programs for counselors and educators on campus and in the community, provide autism testing and pursue other strategies to better support students and families.
Penn State Behrend: Center for Financial Literacy
Hosted by Penn State Behrend’s Center for Financial Literary, a boot camp will prepare high school teachers to deliver upcoming state-mandated financial literacy education launching in 2026. Grant funding will provide essential books and resources for participants, equipping teachers with the knowledge to deliver effective financial education in their communities.
Penn State Berks: Common Reading Program
The Common Reading Program at Penn State Berks is designed to introduce students to the academic environment of college and provides first-year students with a positive reading experience, reinforces the message that reading is an integral part of the college experience and fosters a sense of community among first-year students.
Penn State Great Valley: Barnes and Noble College Scholarship and Book Support
This support will be directed to students with financial need, many of whom are already carrying significant debt from their undergraduate education or who have families depending upon them. Having a more robust financial package will help ensure that students can achieve the intensive focus a graduate degree requires, and at the same time a student’s economic background will not limit their ability to pursue an advanced degree.
Penn State Harrisburg: Inspiring Lifelong Readers and Writers through Non-Fiction
The Madlyn L. Hanes Library will use grant funding to connect students, including pre-service teachers, as well as local educators and other adults in the Harrisburg area, with more resources within the vibrant world of children’s nonfiction and writing. Support will enable the library to invite a celebrated children’s nonfiction author to offer two sessions in spring 2025.
Penn State Hazleton: Book Scholarships
To help students, particularly those in developmental math courses, to hit the ground running at Penn State Hazleton, the campus will provide scholarships for essential books and course materials. Access to e-textbooks is especially important in ensuring that students can complete their assignments and succeed in these foundational courses.
Penn State University Park: Textbook and Scholarship Fund for DUS Students
Each fall, nearly 25% of first-year students across Penn State start their journey in the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), rather than in a specific college or major. The Barnes and Noble College grant will enable DUS to provide select students with scholarships for textbooks, course supplies, lab fees and other expenses, helping to promote their academic success.
University-wide: Academic Access Program
Administered by the Office of Student Care and Advocacy, which is committed to supporting students at University Park and Commonwealth Campuses through challenging times, the Academic Access Program aims to reduce financial strain for students unable to afford required course materials and ensure all students have equal access to essential materials, thereby enhancing their academic success and overall well-being.
University-wide: School Supplies for Student Success
The Student Success Center’s school supply initiative is designed to support undergraduates struggling to afford basic school supplies, such as notebooks and pens. The Barnes and Noble College funding will help to stock both a central school-supply closet and satellite locations across campus and the commonwealth, reducing the financial burden, improving academic preparedness and enhancing the overall well-being of students.
2025 grant applications
The next round of grant applications will open on May 1, 2025, and close on May 31, 2025. Barnes and Noble College has a particular interest in programs that are related to books or reading, have ties to Penn State campuses, focus on Penn State students or local communities with financial or finance-related needs, and have the possibility of engaging the local Barnes and Noble College campus bookstore. Contact Beth Colledge, director of corporate engagement, at [email protected] for more information about the grant program or awards.
Donors like Barnes and Noble College advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients, and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.
About the Corporate Engagement Center
The Corporate Engagement Center connects industry partners to strategic opportunities at Penn State for research and development, philanthropy, and talent recruitment. Brought together in 2019, the center serves as a hub for industry/University relationships, supporting companies as they navigate the vast resources of Penn State. The team is here to help build lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. The Corporate Engagement Center is a joint initiative of the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research and the Office of University Development, working in partnership with Career Services.
About Barnes & Noble Education
Barnes & Noble Education Inc. (BNED) is a leading solutions provider for the education industry, driving affordability, access and achievement at hundreds of academic institutions nationwide and ensuring millions of students are equipped for success in the classroom and beyond. Through its family of brands, BNED offers campus retail services, academic solutions, wholesale capabilities and more. BNED is a company serving all who work to elevate their lives through education, supporting students, faculty and institutions as they make tomorrow a better and smarter world. For more information, visit www.bned.com.
