Written by Maryan Shaker
Post-secondary students are known to face many expenses, especially when living on campus. From tuition to utilities, attending university can get pretty expensive. Arguably the most frustrating expense, however, is textbooks. According to NBC’s review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, textbook prices have risen over 1000% since 1977. While some disagree with this inflation percentage, it doesn’t negate the fact that prices for textbooks have faced a dramatic rise over the years.
In addition, many students have opted to buy access codes or online textbooks due to the challenges the pandemic has imposed. Although many professionals say that the use of these online resources is a cheaper alternative, they are still quite expensive for college students who don’t always have a steady source of income. On average, 1 access code costs about $100. To put it into perspective, a full-time student takes about 5 or 6 courses per semester meaning that students would spend around $1000 on textbooks per school year.
The sad reality is that students are obligated to pay for these resources or risk putting their grades in jeopardy. What’s even more frustrating is that students don’t really have options. Many professors tailor their exams, tests, and evaluations with specific textbooks from a certain year and publisher. Unlike buying a shirt, one can go out and compare price points to fit a budget, but for the most part, textbooks do not work in the same manner. In a survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Cengage, 85% of students say that their textbooks and course materials are more financially stressful than meals, healthcare, and housing. In addition, 43% of students say they’ve saved money by skipping meals to afford course materials.
Students who are struggling to find textbooks should try and explore the internet more thoroughly. And while the most simple answer is to somehow find the funds to purchase these textbooks at full price, there are some other options that may help save students some money. Renting textbooks online is a good substitute as well. This way, students can buy textbooks at a discounted price, but only have access to them for a limited amount of time. Websites like VitalSource or Amazon have a wide selection of textbooks. Moreover, asking upper-year students for textbooks they previously used is also a good alternative. Most upper-years will likely sell them for a very low price or might even offer them up because they are of no use to them anymore.
It is clear that textbooks are quite expensive nowadays, but that doesn’t mean all students should have to suffer. There are alternatives that could help reduce costs, so make sure to try them out before investing!
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