With the rising costs of textbooks, many college students are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase the ones that are required for all of their classes each semester. This undoubtedly has the potential to severely impact their performance in class, as their grades may greatly suffer. Similarly, many people are discouraged about earning a higher education because they not only have to think about tuition, but they also have to consider the soaring costs of textbooks they have to pay each semester.
A report posted by the United States Public Interest Group in February of 2016 stated that, “Over the last decade, the price of college textbooks has soared. Since 2006, the cost of a college textbook increased by 73% – over four times the rate of inflation. Today, individual textbooks often cost over $200, sometimes as high as $400.”
The report also went on to say that, “Nearly 5.2 million U.S. undergraduate students spend a total of $1.5 billion dollars of financial aid on textbooks every semester, or $3 billion per year.”
From these statistics, it is evident that textbook costs have been on the rise and are progressively getting higher. But if this is so, how are students expected to purchase textbooks throughout their entire college career?
Here on campus, a few students shared how they managed to afford their textbooks this semester.
“I try to find people on my school’s Facebook page who are selling their used books at a significant cost. I find that many of them have no more use for the books and as such, they just want to get rid of them for really cheap. This semester I bought my Business Law book for half the original price. Buying my textbooks secondhand is also useful because the previous owners often have notes [in the books], or sections highlighted which are of significant benefit to me,” said sophomore Business and Accounting Major Joey Williams.
“I did not anticipate spending so much money on textbooks in college, but despite the cost, I try to get all my books within the first week of school. Last semester, I delayed getting them but doing that made me fall behind with readings and assignments. This year however, I got my textbooks within the first week of school because I could not afford for that to happen again,” said freshman Biology Major Laurian Simpson.
“I tend to rent most of my textbooks on sites such as Amazon and Chegg. If I can, I also see if I can find the eBook version, because they are generally much cheaper than hard copies. Last semester, the bookstore here at Saint Leo had a price match system, so I made use of that to get my textbooks for the cheapest possible price,” said freshman Computer Science Major Romario Williams.
Each semester, students have to find unique ways to ensure that they are able to acquire their college textbooks.
However, there seems to be some hope in sight. According to a statement released by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin last year, there are plans in place to lower the costs of textbooks nationally.
“We should promote a system that helps students manage costs by making high quality, open textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public for free. It is a model that has worked at schools across the country, including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in my home state,” said Durbin.
Similarly, the Chicago Tribune reported that, “The Affordable College Textbook Act [put forward by Senator Durbin]would provide grants that schools could use to publish what are essentially online materials that are free for professors, students, researchers and others.”
If systems such as this are implemented, students will have a much cheaper alternative to purchasing costly textbooks and being worried about the high prices for college books will be a thing of the past. Until then, students have to take full advantage of secondhand textbooks, renting from online sources, as well as using price match systems similar to the one that is sometimes offered by bookstores on college campuses.
