Guide for parents and students in a changing market
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 and now navigating the book-buying process is even more complicated. Publishers bundle online access codes with required homework assignments and reduce both student choice and market competition with automatic “textbook billing programs.” If you’re a parent with a student in college, gone are the days where a textbook was just a physical book that you could buy used or new.
That doesn’t mean parents and students don’t have options. Being a smart consumer can save you hundreds of dollars every year on course materials. Here is U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Student PIRGs’ updated tip guide for getting the course materials you need without breaking the bank.
Before you start your book search:
Many professors are conscious of the impact of the cost of course materials on students, so don’t hesitate to share your concerns about costs and ask what your options are for the class.
All of your next steps will depend on this.
Often billed as “inclusive access” or “equitable access,” these programs will automatically add course materials to your tuition bill through the university bookstore or other provider unless you opt-out.
If your campus does have this type of program, know the deadline for when you can opt-out and the process to opt-out before being billed. Make sure you do your cost comparisons before that date. One student at the University of Houston discovered that remaining in the automatic program would have cost them $350 when the total cost of their books was actually only $35. Another student at the University of California-Santa Cruz wasn’t given the option to opt-out and was charged three times for the same book that they already had a copy of.
Our recent report found that many bookstores and campuses get a cut of profits made from automatic billing programs, so beware of the fine print if you decide not to opt-out. You should know what the refund policy is and when the deadline is for refunds. If you decide to drop a class and the opt-out or refund deadline is before the add/drop deadline, you may be stuck with a book or access code that you don’t need.
We’ve found that what a university bookstore lists as “required” may not reflect what the professor requested.
- Books: Get the ISBN, which is a unique identification number, for each book required in the course, as well as the book’s title, author, publisher and edition.
- Other materials: What else — such as paid access codes required to do your homework or take quizzes — must you purchase to take the course.
Previous editions and international editions of books can often be significantly more affordable and have few substantive differences compared to the most current version.If the new edition is only required for smaller sections of the semester or quarter, you may be able to find those sections online or temporarily borrow the new edition from the library or a friend.
Some books may be required, but only be used for a few weeks. Others may be required the entire semester or quarter. Knowing this will allow you to take advantage of free trial periods, your school library or shorter rental terms.
Some professors may offer more traditional ways of turning in homework or taking quizzes if you share your concerns about the cost of online access codes.
Finally, consider whether you will need the book again for a future class; rentals and access codes may save you money in the short term, but if you need the book for another class you may be better off buying the physical book or ebook with unlimited access.
Do a cost comparison and find the best option for you.
Once you have a clear idea of what textbooks and course materials you actually need, here are some tips to find the most affordable options:
Comparing costs with multiple aggregator websites can give you the best idea of the most affordable options. Search by ISBN to make sure you’re getting the right version of the book if that’s required, but also search by title, author, etc. to find and compare unbundled versions, ebooks, physical textbooks, and older editions.
Here are a few places to get started:
As you make your decision, pay attention to what comes with each bundle and how long you have access to each book. As one parent found, this is not an easy process, so give yourself plenty of time to do research.
With common general education courses and physical textbooks, you may be able to find books by just asking around. If that doesn’t work, here are some other ideas:
- On-campus and off-campus bookstores may have used textbooks or rental programs that are more affordable
- You may be able to find cheaper options on Facebook Marketplace
- Some campuses host book swaps where students can directly trade books without a middleman
Getting your textbook from your campus or local library can be free. Before deciding to go this route, you should know how much access you’ll need to the book in order to complete the course, and what the limitations are for access at your library.
When you get your required textbooks list, check with the campus library about what they have and how you can access books. Typically, unless they’re in larger cities, local off-campus libraries will not have textbooks, but it’s worth asking.
- Check out your textbook: Some libraries have multiple copies of common textbooks available for limited time check-out.
- Get it on reserve: Other libraries have only books that professors put on reserve before the semester or quarter starts. If you get your book list early, you can always ask your professor to put textbooks on reserve if they haven’t done so yet. Students can typically only use books on reserve at the library for a limited amount of time each session (2-4 hours).
- Course Reserves: Finally, if you only need a section of a book, the professor can typically use their library’s Course Reserves — and you should ask them to. Here’s an example of how the system works at the University of South Florida. Reach out to your library to ask how it works on your campus. Course Reserves provide students a hard copy and electronic access to chapters or sections of books and eBooks for free.
Some professors and departments receive a sample copy of the textbook from the publisher that you may be able to borrow. Campuses may also have grant or emergency access programs available to students in need.
A $2,500 federal tax credit is available to some students for their textbook purchases and other qualifying higher education expenses. You can find out more about the American Opportunity Tax Credit here.
The textbook and course material marketplace doesn’t have to be this way. Automatic textbook billing and requiring paid access codes to do homework reduces choice for students who want to find more affordable options.
The only way to change textbook prices in the long run is to change the marketplace to increase competition.
- Call on the U.S. Department of Education to make automatic textbook billing “opt-in only” by sharing PIRG’s new report and tagging it on social media (Instagram @usedgov, X @usedgov)
- Encourage your professors to choose free open source textbooks by sharing the Open Textbook Library with them. There are now more than 1,500 free books available.
Check out our organizing guide for other ways you can advocate for affordable options on your campus.