By Aaron Hartley
It’s officially that time of the semester that every student dreads. You’ve barely settled into your classes to find that you have several hundred dollars worth of textbooks to purchase. The fact is, textbook publishers look at students as nothing more than dollar signs, and something needs to be done to ensure we aren’t taken advantage of to the point of making our education a burden.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, textbook prices in the United States have risen 1,041 percent since 1977, significantly higher than the rate of inflation. The problem is simple, and it’s the handful of publishers remain at fault. Prices have been driven higher because students don’t have many options when it comes to what textbooks they need for certain classes. As a result, a student at a public institution could spend over $1,000 on average textbook costs if it weren’t for a few convenient options. Director of Gray’s College Bookstore Christopher Merrifield agrees with this assumption.
“The textbook publishers, have made a very concerted effort to continue selling new books – custom books packaged with software, workbooks, and reference materials have become the norm at most universities these days,” said Merrifield.
Many more students are turning to renting, photo-copying or downloading their textbooks online, for much more affordable prices. Online retailers like Amazon and Chegg, which provide students with cheap and convenient options, are steadily becoming popular among college campuses nationwide.
The manager of the U of L’s Bookstore, Scott Schuknech, explained the bookstore’s position on the increasing popularity of online rental services.
“We offer the largest selection of affordable course materials and textbooks in a variety of formats. These efforts have ensured that our bookstore is extremely competitive with online retailers.”
This entire transition of purchasing textbooks online is even resulting in publishing companies having to revamp their business practice, which could be the students’ last hope in terms of textbook price reduction.
“The average lifespan of a textbook new edition is 18 months,” said Merrifield. “Gray’s recognizes that the prices of college have been rising at a faster rate than college tuition.”
While places like Gray’s and the U of L’s Bookstore provide employment opportunities and steady income for many students, even some rental prices are not convenient enough for students on a budget.
What this boils down to is that more effort needs to be made to make college more affordable and accessible to aspiring students. This needs to be done in a way that is beneficial to all parties, and the reduction of textbook prices is one of the first steps. It’s hard to convince a student whose greatest portion of their diet is funded by their $200 meal plan, that paying twice as much for a single textbook is justified.
If students had more breathing room financially, this would all be a different story, but it’s a hard reality to swallow when we’re forced to cash out our bank accounts just to buy a few books.
