Turning the page on textbook prices
Last week marked the start of a new term at many colleges around the country. A friend of mine who worked at a college book store during last week's book rush told me of the horror on students' faces when their purchases were totaled. No matter how long you've been in school, you never get over the shock of paying $200 for just one text book.
Fortunately, lawmakers are starting to pay attention to the continually rising cost of textbooks. Some feel publishers are to blame for producing new editions of books that haven't greatly changed. Others think professors should take more care in choosing the material they require students to purchase. The College Opportunity and Affordability Act (HR 4137) includes three provisions that would help keep textbook prices under control.
1. It requires publishers to provide textbook prices to professors so they can take the price into consideration when choosing their books. 2. It requires that the items in bundled packages must also be sold separately so students won't have to pay extra for CDs and workbooks they may not need. 3. It encourages colleges to provide book lists to students before the semester begins so they have time to look for used copies, if available.
HR 4137 has passed in the House and is now under consideration by the Senate. To learn more about the bill, read this summary from the Public Interest Research Groups website.
In the meantime, some students are proposing the use of open textbooks or textbook rentals at their colleges as alternatives to the expense of new books.
Fortunately, lawmakers are starting to pay attention to the continually rising cost of textbooks. Some feel publishers are to blame for producing new editions of books that haven't greatly changed. Others think professors should take more care in choosing the material they require students to purchase. The College Opportunity and Affordability Act (HR 4137) includes three provisions that would help keep textbook prices under control.
1. It requires publishers to provide textbook prices to professors so they can take the price into consideration when choosing their books. 2. It requires that the items in bundled packages must also be sold separately so students won't have to pay extra for CDs and workbooks they may not need. 3. It encourages colleges to provide book lists to students before the semester begins so they have time to look for used copies, if available.
HR 4137 has passed in the House and is now under consideration by the Senate. To learn more about the bill, read this summary from the Public Interest Research Groups website.
In the meantime, some students are proposing the use of open textbooks or textbook rentals at their colleges as alternatives to the expense of new books.
Labels: college expenses, textbooks
posted by Jeanette Rankin Foundation at
2:51 PM
2 Comments:
While prices for textbooks keep going up, some student come up with ways to minimize their expenses for books.
Let me share what I do:
- check if textbooks are available at the library. Some of them are available.
- check with the syllabus on how often a certain book is needed. It happens that sometimes you need just a few chapters. Then I can buy a used book, copy these few chapters and return the book back to the store.
- buy one copy of a book or a course packet for several students and then work out how to deal with it - share or copy.
- shop for books online (it helps if you know what book you need in advance). There are a lot of great deals on books.
- borrow books from other students who had this class before.
- if it a course packet with articles, it makes sense to check if those articles are available online through the library. In my case they were available... and I had free access to them.
I have found used textbooks at 'Half Price Books', here in Columbus, Ohio. I am sure any 'used book' bookstore will do. I had to buy a nursing book that would have cost me $150.00 new. I found the same text that was one edition older for $15.00. The text was exactly the same except the cover was different. The bookstore had many, many textbooks on all subjects. This has been a lifesaver for me as my books are between $500.00-$900.00 a quarter.
Post a Comment
<< Home