ConnPIRG: Lower textbook prices

The average college student spends $900 on textbooks each year according to research done by ConnPIRG, a student organization which advocates for the rights of students and public interests on campus. That cost is tantamount to a shocking 20 percent of an average university's tuition, and about half the tuition of some community colleges.

As Rachel Watkins, ConnPIRG's campus organizer, said , "For some students, textbook cost makes the difference between going to college and not going to college." In recent years, the price of college textbooks has skyrocketed, making each new semester a struggle for many students pursuing a college education, continues to become more financially inaccessible.

Publishers are using many creative methods to keep elevating the prices of textbooks. By constantly creating new editions of books, adding on packages and bundles that may not be necessary, and even withholding the book costs from professors, publishers are able to sell their books to students at inflated prices.

Recently, ConnPIRG was able to get legislation passed that required publishers to inform professors of the cost that will be placed upon their students. Though it is a step in the right direction, there is still a long way to go to make textbooks affordable.

One role that ConnPIRG plays in this dilemma is advocating for the widespread use of "Open Textbooks," books published by Flat World Knowledge that are available to students for free online and affordable in print. The difference in price is remarkable–one Introduction to Economic Analysis book can be printed off of introecon.com for $11.10. Similar versions of the book are sold for up to $169.95. Last spring, ConnPIRG recruited over 1,000 professors to switch to open textbooks when possible in order to ease the financial strain placed on students.

Open textbooks are customizable by professors, and could cut the average amount that students spend on textbooks by 80 percentThough ConnPIRG's website features a catalog of the open textbooks offered by UConn professors, the selection is still limited. A large part of making open textbooks a mainstream tool is spreading the word.

As Watkins said, "The more professors make the switch to open textbooks, the more they will become available." ConnPIRG plans on organizing a "Day of Action" within the next few weeks in which student members will travel through halls and talk to professors about their options, hopefully getting even more UConn professors to commit to an open textbook policy.

There are other ways in which changes are being made to halt the overpricing of textbooks on college campuses. Online forums have sprung up among students as a way to soften the blow of textbook prices each semester. Websites such as Campusbookswap.org allow college students to cut out the middle man by trading textbooks directly from student to student.

"A Cover to Cover Solution: How Open Textbooks are the Path to Textbook Affordability" is a report issued by ConnPIRG that discusses alternatives to buying pricey textbooks such as E-books, E-readers and rental books that have been becoming more and more available on a widespread basis.

ConnPIRG has done extensive research that explores the specific needs of individual students and how alternative textbook options could realistically reduce book costs. While the combined use of e-books, e-readers and rental books could potentially slash that average cost down to about $600, the use of open textbooks could potentially cut annual cost to a whopping $184.