Textbooks need to be less expensive. Moving them online will make prices more affordable for students. If prices are more affordable, then students will be more willing to purchase all of their textbooks.

According to a U.S. PIRG study released last week, almost two-thirds of students did not buy a textbook at some point during college because of the cost of the book. This is why, in November, Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Al Franken (D-MN.) introduced the Affordable College Textbook Act. The act would create a competitive grant program for institutions of higher education to create and expand the use of “open” textbooks online.

Textbook distributors are also looking to address the issue. Follett, a company that manages more than 950 campus stores, started a program called IncludED in January 2013, which enrolls students in classes and orders textbooks simultaneously. This ensures that students have their textbooks as soon as classes begin.

Both initiatives reflect two pressing realities — textbooks are too expensive and some students are not getting all the proper materials they need to do well in certain classes.

The senate act offers an alternative where textbooks are made available either as e-books or online. This initiative would make textbooks less expensive and, in turn, help prevent students from bypassing a book because of a high price.

The Follett program could help make sure students do not have trouble buying their textbooks before classes begin. But it is unfair to force students to buy textbooks when enrolling in a class. Some professors inform students on the first day that a listed textbook is not part of the curriculum. Some students enroll in classes that they will later drop.

The price of books can be reduced when they are purchased electronically because publishers eliminate printing expenses. Higher education institutions should offer more textbooks electronically or on the Internet through programs like Blackboard to reduce costs for students.

While some alternatives to traditional textbooks are being proposed, they must be refined before an effective solution to cutting costs can be implemented.

Published on February 10, 2014 at 2:20 am

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