High Cost of College Textbooks
The High Cost of College Textbooks
Thomas Jefferson said that “ Books Constitute Capital !”, and by that saying from over one hundred years ago it still stands today. The high cost of college textbooks is not only an issue here at Delgado Community College, but with almost every college student across the nation. Rather new or used textbooks are overpriced, but students can save money by buying digital textbooks.
One of the main reasons why college textbooks are so expensive is because they are overpriced. The publishers set the prices. The bookstore has no control. The publishers of the textbooks are in the habit of bringing new editions quite frequently. Most students hesitate to buy old editions fearing that they will miss out on something. In fact, many professors list a new edition in their book list every semester,( Experiencing Psychology textbook for example), purchased at the DCC bookstore for $112. The upside of that is that it’s a wonderful book, but the downside is that I don’t even use the book in class. Most textbooks are overpriced because they come in packages, which might include CD’s and supplementary materials which are really not required ( Ruszkie /How to Write Anything $121.48,DCC bookstore ); however, students are forced to give more money because of the extras. The majority of publishers do not do anything about the high cost of college textbooks. Why would they? Because college textbooks are one of the most profitable sectors for the publishing industry. A Government Accountability Office report found that in the past two decades, college textbook prices have increased at twice the rate of inflation. In academic year 2003-04, students and their families spent more than $6 billion on new and used textbooks.
At two-year public institutions such as Delgado where low-income students are more likely to pursue a degree program and tuition and fees are lower, the average estimated cost of books and supplies per first-time full-time student is
Thomas Jefferson said that “ Books Constitute Capital !”, and by that saying from over one hundred years ago it still stands today. The high cost of college textbooks is not only an issue here at Delgado Community College, but with almost every college student across the nation. Rather new or used textbooks are overpriced, but students can save money by buying digital textbooks.
One of the main reasons why college textbooks are so expensive is because they are overpriced. The publishers set the prices. The bookstore has no control. The publishers of the textbooks are in the habit of bringing new editions quite frequently. Most students hesitate to buy old editions fearing that they will miss out on something. In fact, many professors list a new edition in their book list every semester,( Experiencing Psychology textbook for example), purchased at the DCC bookstore for $112. The upside of that is that it’s a wonderful book, but the downside is that I don’t even use the book in class. Most textbooks are overpriced because they come in packages, which might include CD’s and supplementary materials which are really not required ( Ruszkie /How to Write Anything $121.48,DCC bookstore ); however, students are forced to give more money because of the extras. The majority of publishers do not do anything about the high cost of college textbooks. Why would they? Because college textbooks are one of the most profitable sectors for the publishing industry. A Government Accountability Office report found that in the past two decades, college textbook prices have increased at twice the rate of inflation. In academic year 2003-04, students and their families spent more than $6 billion on new and used textbooks.
At two-year public institutions such as Delgado where low-income students are more likely to pursue a degree program and tuition and fees are lower, the average estimated cost of books and supplies per first-time full-time student is