New Textbook Information Available to Students
One of the “hidden” costs of a college education, which parents and students sometimes forget about, or underestimate, when calculating expenses, is the cost of textbooks and course materials. Students, and their parents, are often taken by surprise at the high cost of these tools of the education trade. Students are sometimes able to purchase used textbooks, either from the college bookstore or online, but that often requires that students plan ahead. Unfortunately, students do not always have the information that they need early enough.
In August of 2008, Congress made changes to the Higher Education Act; renaming it the Higher Education Opportunity Act and reauthorizing it. The new Act has several changes, but one which goes into effect in July 2010, and which immediately impacts students, concerns providing textbook information to students earlier.
Previously, most professors provided information to students regarding the textbook for a course on the syllabus, usually handed out at the first class meeting. The syllabus contained the title and author of the textbook and students could go to the bookstore to purchase the book. Students who opted to order a textbook online, in order to save money, might need to wait several days or even several weeks for the book to arrive.
When the new Higher Education Opportunity Act goes into effect in July 2010, schools will be required to provide information about textbooks to students in course registration materials. This means that students will have the information at the time that they register for a course – usually near the middle or end of the previous semester. Schools will need to provide the title of the textbook, the ISBN, and the retail price of the textbook in all formats. In some instances, schools may indicate that the book is “TBD” (to be decided), but the school is expected to provide the information for the majority of courses.
With many colleges now offering their course registration materials online, it will be possible to keep textbook information current. Some schools are even considering providing direct links on their course schedules to both the college bookstore and/or to Amazon or other online vendors.
Of course, there is a ripple effect for colleges and for publishers. In order for faculty members to make a timely and informed decision about textbooks, publishers are required to provide information to faculty members on the price of books in all formats, the copyright dates of three previous editions, information regarding revisions to new editions, and the price of bundled and unbundled supplementary materials. This means that price may now be more of a factor as faculty members choose their course materials.
Obviously, there are some definite benefits to this textbook provision in the new Higher Education Opportunity Act. Publishers will need to be more transparent about the costs of textbooks, new editions, and supplementary materials. Faculty members will be able to be more informed about costs as they make choices about textbooks, and as they consider whether or not to require any or all of the supplementary materials available. Students will have access to textbook information earlier, allowing them time to find the most economical way to purchase the textbook.
However, one major drawback may be the potential for faculty members and/or students to make educational decisions based solely on cost. While it is important for faculty members to consider textbook costs, and cost may be one factor in choosing materials, some textbook materials are simply better than others. Faculty members will still need to consider many factors in choosing their course material. Students, too, will need to be careful not to choose their courses based on the cost of the textbook for those courses. While it may be appealing to take a course that requires a $50 book rather than one that requires a $200 book, cost should not determine the choice of course. Parents can help to remind students that they need to look beyond the cost of textbooks when giving careful consideration to their schedule. Academic Advisors can also help students look beyond cost to the bigger educational picture.
The cost of college textbooks has continued to rise over the past few years. The new textbook provision in the Higher Education Opportunity Act is one step in helping to address this growing problem. The transparency and availability of information should help faculty members, students, and their families, make informed and timely decisions.
