Mark Morgenstein
Director of Media Relations, The Public Interest Network
[email protected]
NEW TIP GUIDE FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS: How to save money on textbooks this new school year
Media Contacts
Buying college course materials isn’t as simple as it used to be — or should be
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The cost of textbooks and course materials has increased at three times the rate of inflation since 1978. Finding affordable options has never been easy, but now the book-buying process is even more complicated — and can be more expensive, too — for college students and parents. Therefore, just in time for the fall term, the Student PIRGs and U.S. PIRG Education Fund have released a new tip guide to help consumers navigate the challenging textbook marketplace.
“Last semester, Florida State University enrolled me in automatic textbook billing. It cost more than $300, so I had to get food from our campus food pantry,” said Savannah Lebedeker, a junior at Florida State University and student leader at Florida PIRG. “This guide pulls back the curtain on these hidden charges and gives parents and students the tools they need to find the most affordable options.”
If you’re a student entering college, gone are your parents’ days, when a textbook was just a physical book that they could buy used or new. Publishers bundle online access codes with required homework assignments and reduce both student choice and market competition with automatic textbook billing programs, often marketed as “inclusive access” programs.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education proposed a regulatory change that would give students the right to “opt in” to textbook and course material charges, rather than being billed on their tuition invoices without their affirmative consent. This proposed policy would empower students, provide greater consumer choice and improve transparency, but the Biden administration has not moved forward to finalize it.
“Calling something ‘inclusive access’ may sound great for students, but in reality, automatic textbook billing is anything but inclusive. These programs undercut low-cost options such as free, open textbooks, used books and textbook rental programs,” said Dan Xie, co-author of the Student PIRGs’ latest report on automatic billing and the Student PIRGs’ national political director. “It’s time for the Biden administration to make it easier for students and families to save money on course materials by mandating opt-in policies.”
The Student PIRGs and U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s new tip guide walks parents and students through everything from how to navigate automatic billing programs to the best places to do cost comparisons and how to leverage the campus library.