Rising Textbook Prices Hide Larger Issue Of Possible Tuition Increase

Over the last few months, a textbook committee at Winston-Salem State has met twice to discuss the issue of textbook prices. Laine Goldman, a mass communications instructor and the chairperson of the textbook committee, has led the effort to examine the costs associated with textbooks.

Goldman, a passionate advocate for her cause, is quick to explain the mission of the textbook committee.

"It's designed to lower the cost of textbooks," she said.

The textbook committee was formed in response to a mandate by Erskine Bowles, president of the general administration of the UNC system, which requires that colleges show a commitment to lowering school expenses.

Textbooks have generally been the target of most efforts to stop school expenses from rising. On average, college students spend $900 a year on textbooks, according to a 2006 U.S. Department of Education report.

The amount of attention being given to textbook prices has only left larger issues to loom in the background, like the overall rising cost of tuition. Goldman thinks that it has become all too "easy to blame textbooks."

The mandate that Bowles enacted last year is aimed at reducing immediate expenses such as textbooks and supplies, but there may be an ulterior motive. Namely, a college or university that has shown commitment to lowering local expenses like textbooks, has cleared one of the major hurdles toward raising school tuition.

Many believe that incremental tuition increases are necessary to help attract high-quality teachers, and to keep current teachers from looking elsewhere for higher salaries. Higher tuition and fees also helps develop new facilities for colleges.

Even with the textbook committee actively pursuing the rising cost of textbooks, some students feel that not enough is being done.

"I think that the type of organization [eFollet bookstore] set up in this school is not designed to help students save money," said Phillip Horne. "They're only here to make a profit.

John Ray, who manages the campus bookstore and is a member of the textbook committee, says those remarks are "one-sided," and that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

"When you come to the bookstore, it's sort of a shock to the system," he said. "'Are my books that expensive?'"

The answer to that question for many is yes. The amount students spend on textbooks per year has nearly doubled in the past 20 years, with textbook prices rising at a steady rate-faster than inflation.

"I think price is a big part of it," "Ray said. "The best possible way to keep textbook prices down is to use the book for two to three years."

Ray's idea may be ideal, but each semester many teachers adopt new editions, leaving students to pay the cost. Teachers, who often receive textbook copies for free, are often oblivious to the price of each textbook. Almost all of the review copies that teachers receive do not have a sticker price.

However, this may soon change. The Higher Education Act of 1965 originally required that colleges and universities provide financial assistance to students in higher education. The Higher Education Act has since been reauthorized every five years, and most recently on Feb. 7, 2008. The reauthorization will require publishers to inform colleges about prices for textbooks, in hopes of saving students money.