States, colleges working to reduce the cost of textbooks
Pauline Vu
Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: News
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Pauline Vu
MCT Campus
WASHINGTON - College students across the country are experiencing sticker shock at their bookstores. At the University of Maryland, a new "Understanding Business" book sells for $139. At the University of North Carolina, Tar Heels could shell out $153.35 for "Principles of Economics." And at the University of Wisconsin, "Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity" goes for $109.90 - used.
But relief may be on the way as states and university officials move to lower the cost of college textbooks by taking aim at some publisher and faculty practices blamed for raising prices.
This year - when students at four-year public universities spent an average of $942 on books and supplies, the College Board reported - there were 86 bills in 27 states that dealt with textbook affordability, according to the National Association of College Stores (NACS).
Some of the bills proposed direct relief through sales-tax exemptions or credits and deductions, but the seven states that enacted laws - Arkansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington - largely targeted the behavior of publishers and college faculty. They follow the lead of Connecticut and Virginia, which in the last two years passed bills to cut textbook costs.
State and university officials have stepped up their efforts since a 2005 report by Congress' Government Accountability Office found that from 1986 to 2004, college textbook prices increased 186 percent, more than twice the rate of inflation. But over the same period, tuition rose 240 percent, and publishers and college bookstores say that increase is fueling the anger at textbook prices.
"The textbook thing is something that people have latched onto, and it's kind of easier to tackle," said Charles Schmidt, a NACS spokesman. "It's been the issue to show `we're doing something to make higher education ... more affordable and accessible."
According to the GAO report, many textbooks now come "bundled" with supplemental materials such as workbooks, study guides, CDs or online resources, driving up the price.
MCT Campus
WASHINGTON - College students across the country are experiencing sticker shock at their bookstores. At the University of Maryland, a new "Understanding Business" book sells for $139. At the University of North Carolina, Tar Heels could shell out $153.35 for "Principles of Economics." And at the University of Wisconsin, "Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity" goes for $109.90 - used.
But relief may be on the way as states and university officials move to lower the cost of college textbooks by taking aim at some publisher and faculty practices blamed for raising prices.
This year - when students at four-year public universities spent an average of $942 on books and supplies, the College Board reported - there were 86 bills in 27 states that dealt with textbook affordability, according to the National Association of College Stores (NACS).
Some of the bills proposed direct relief through sales-tax exemptions or credits and deductions, but the seven states that enacted laws - Arkansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington - largely targeted the behavior of publishers and college faculty. They follow the lead of Connecticut and Virginia, which in the last two years passed bills to cut textbook costs.
State and university officials have stepped up their efforts since a 2005 report by Congress' Government Accountability Office found that from 1986 to 2004, college textbook prices increased 186 percent, more than twice the rate of inflation. But over the same period, tuition rose 240 percent, and publishers and college bookstores say that increase is fueling the anger at textbook prices.
"The textbook thing is something that people have latched onto, and it's kind of easier to tackle," said Charles Schmidt, a NACS spokesman. "It's been the issue to show `we're doing something to make higher education ... more affordable and accessible."
According to the GAO report, many textbooks now come "bundled" with supplemental materials such as workbooks, study guides, CDs or online resources, driving up the price.
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