Did You Know?

According to the U.S. Federation of Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG), students spend an average of $900 per year on textbooks. That equates to roughly 20 percent of tuition at an average university and half of tuition at a community college. Since 1994, textbook prices have increased at four times the rate of inflation. What's more, many schools don't include textbook costs in their overall cost estimates, and many parents and students are caught off guard when they visit the campus bookstore to purchase their textbooks for the first time. The U.S. PIRG feels the rising costs should be curbed, and that, if implemented, policy changes could make textbooks more affordable. One issue the U.S. PIRG cites is the production of new editions by publishers. The standard for new editions is every three and a half years, even in fields such as math and chemistry where information hasn't changed significantly. These new editions, which are more expensive and often cannot be purchased used, prevent faculties and bookstores from using the old edition. Another driving force behind the escalating price of textbooks is the inclusion of supplementary materials, such as CD-ROMS or workbooks. Whether or not these items are used is up to the professor, but once purchased, books with these items become harder to resell. The U.S. PIRG feels a change in policy requiring publishers to curb practices that drive up costs could be the only way to offer some relief to college students and parents looking to lessen the annual costs associated with textbooks.