State representative takes on high cost of college textbooks
By Steven K. Paulson, Associated Press
Published March 3, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
Rep. John Kefalas said he knows firsthand why college students are tired of paying hundreds of dollars for textbooks that change every year, along with requirements that they buy CDs and other add-ons that aren't used in class.
The Democrat from Fort Collins, who has a son at Colorado State University, is sponsoring a bill that would require publishers to disclose the price of the textbooks, the history of substantive revisions to them, and the estimated length of time the textbook will on the market.
Senate Bill 73, the College Textbook Affordability Act, also would require publishers of bundled textbook packages, including such things as CDs, to offer the option of buying the book and add-ons separately.
Similar measures are catching on across the country, with laws already passed in Oregon, Washington and Connecticut. Supporters say publishers can charge higher prices because they have a monopoly.
Kefalas said it's difficult to hold down the rising cost of a college education, but he believes requiring publishers to disclose pricing will help.
Jason Hopfer, a lobbyist who represents about 200 publishers, said there are many reasons for the high cost of textbooks.
He said even the best-selling textbooks sell only 30,000 copies, which is far below the number even paperback books rack up on best-seller lists. Textbooks also are expensive to produce and require special distribution, he said.
The bill will be heard Thursday in the House Education Committee.
Abe Scarr, spokesman for Associated Students of Colorado, said studies show students are spending $700 to $1,000 a year just for their textbooks.
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March 3, 2008
8:29 a.m.
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kathyM writes:
Why aren't our legislators writing up a College Affordability Act? When tuition is 5 figures per year, a book bill of $700-$1000 is pretty minuscule.
Students squawk about textbooks because it's an out-of-pocket expense (many financial aid programs don't include textbooks). They seem to forget about the huge debt they're racking up just to go to college in the first place.
As a college instructor, I'm irked about new editions coming out every couple years with few real updates and a higher price tag. I never require textbooks that I don't actually use in class--that is, when I have a choice. (That's a story for another day.)
This fixation on textbook costs is actually keeping students from using their textbooks! It's essential to interact with the book--annotate it, mark it, write notes in it, etc. But instead, some students are keeping the book pristine for a higher resale at the end of the semester. It's not a coincidence that those students often earn lower grades. It's pretty sad when college students are hurting their own learning for the sake of a few bucks. It's even sadder that our legislators take the same short-term view.