College textbook prices are outrageous! In some cases, books cost so much that they force students to skip college altogether. The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) was signed into law in 2008 in an effort to help with this problem. As of July 2010, all college campuses were required to implement these new provisions regarding textbooks and specifically this issue.
New Provisions:
Provision 1 – ISBN on record: All universities eligible for federal and state financial aid are now required to provide students with ISBN numbers and retail prices for all required and recommended textbooks for each course, prior to and during the enrollment process.
Provision 2 – Rental Programs: All colleges are encouraged to provide students with information about textbook rental programs that are available on campus. While there may be multiple programs available, the university is only encouraged to provide information on those with which the university has a direct relationship. There are also many private textbook rental programs available through the Internet.
Provision 3 – Used Textbooks and Buyback Programs: Colleges are also encouraged to provide information on the availability of used textbooks and on-campus textbook buyback programs. Again, they only provide information on college-sponsored or college bookstore-approved programs offered on your campus. There are many others, including Amazon.com.
Provision 4 – Other Alternatives: All colleges are encouraged to provide information on current and potential alternatives to high textbook prices. With e-textbooks and other cost-saving strategies becoming more widely available on campus, colleges are trying to find ways to educate students and make these alternatives cost-effective.
Additional tips: The HEOA also offered some suggestions that could help students and teachers find additional savings on textbooks.
Track 1: It was suggested that textbook manufacturers be asked to inform teachers of the comparative prices of alternative textbooks before or during the selection process, so that teachers can choose to choose a textbook alternative from lower cost to students, if available. Previously, instructors were not given information about the prices of the textbooks that publishers recommended for their courses. Unsurprisingly, the recommended textbook was generally the newest and most expensive edition.
Tip 2: It has also been suggested that textbook publishers try avoid minor revisions that make a previously selected edition of a textbook obsolete, simply because some minor revisions have been made. It has been suggested that this practice has been taking good quality 3- and 4-year-old used textbooks off the market for available textbooks. This practice has become more and more pervasive in recent years as publishers try to improve their revenue stream…at the direct expense of the student.
Summary:
Hopefully, the steps taken by HEOA and others coming from outside the campus community will help reduce textbook expenses and allow students to make college more affordable again. Although these provisions and suggestions have been made public for all colleges that receive federal financial aid, so far I have not seen a drastic change. My hope is that if more students and parents find out about these changes, schools, bookstores, and publishing houses will be forced to operate with what’s best for our college students and their families in mind. Only time will tell.
Please share this article with anyone you think may benefit from the textbook cost savings that will result if these provisions and suggestions are used and applied correctly.