Dec 13, 2007 8:55 pm US/Mountain
Text Book Costs Might Come Up For Debate
DENVER (CBS4) ―
College students and their parents know how expensive textbooks are. The prices are so high that state lawmakers might take action in the spring.
College students say they spend an average of $900 a year on textbooks. That's nearly a quarter of their tuition at an average-priced university, and about half the tuition at a typical community college.
Students say they are a captive market for book publishers, and a market where they are often exploited. They say some publishers simply scramble pages and issue new textbooks as often as possible so they can maximize their profits.
"Five publishers control approximately 80 percent of the marketplace," Blake Gibson with Associated Students of Colorado said. "This encourages a lot of ingenuity on behalf of the publishers."
Other students say some of the new books contain CD-ROMs and workbooks professors almost never ask them to use. It's a pricey practice known as "bundling."
Most students also don't know, until their professor tells them, how much their books are going to cost.
"If we could just tell them how much books are costing, how long is this edition going to be current, and stop the bundling of textbooks," Colorado State University senior Mark Settle said.
Sen. Ron Tupa's bill requires publishers to offer "unbundled" books, giving students more options. It also requires them to provide more information about the books they assign students to buy.
"I think this bill will empower faculty to make a choice to order the less expensive textbook for the student," Tupa said. "Right now, they don't have that. That's not even a part of the equation."
A lobbyist representing the American Association of Publishers, Jason Hopfer, said the bill makes assumptions about their industry and that they are mistaken. He said they'll address it when it comes up for debate.
"I think the draft, as you look at it today, has some misconceptions in it about what the publishers can and cannot do, and what they can control," Hopfer said.
But students, who were busy selling used textbooks back at about a third or less for what they paid for them, say there is no mistake, under the present system, they're getting gouged.
"When was the last time calculus changed in the last 50 years?" Gibson asked. "For an edition to come out in calculus every three years that simply does not have any new material, why not wait until new material is discovered or invented?"
At least five others states have already passed so-called textbook affordability legislation to help students and parents out.
The Colorado bill will come up for debate this spring.
Student leaders in Colorado say they have received thousands of letters from people asking for relief from the high cost of textbooks.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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