Community college offers degree without books

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Tidewater Community College has announced a pilot program that will allow some students to earn an associate degree in business administration without buying any textbooks.

College officials and industry leaders said Thursday that the initiative is the first of its kind for an accredited institution in this country. Colleges are increasingly using free materials online, but this will be the first degree program that will allow students to rely on them completely.

Tidewater Vice President Daniel DeMarte says the goal is to save students money. He says if the pilot program goes well, more courses may be offered without textbooks.

The Virginian-Pilot reports (http://bit.ly/ZLX0FB) that business administration students will be given the choice of using textbooks or the online materials. The latter could cut their education expenses by a third.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com