Less-Costly Options Make College Textbooks More Affordable
By KELLI B. GRANT
August 6, 2008
Filling a book bag with a course-load of college textbooks will weigh not only on a student’s shoulders, but on his or her wallet.
On average, college students shelled out $900 a semester for textbooks, according to a 2005 federal report. In some cases, a single science book can cost $200.
The situation has led Congress to step in, and on Thursday it passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act. Among its provisions, the bill requires publishers to share pricing information with professors and for es them to unbundle packages of textbooks and supplementary materials so students can buy only items they need. President George W. Bush is expected to sign the bill.