The Cost of College Textbooks: A Burden on Students
The cost of college education in the United States of America is too expensive. Despite the high cost of tuition fee, students in colleges have to incur an additional cost of buying textbooks. Clifton affirms that a student, studying for four years in a public college, incur an average of USD 1200 every year on books and supply without considering other expenses such as clothing, food, toiletries among other supplies. Some students are fortunate enough to be from families that are willing and able to pay for the books. However, should textbook cost be included in tuition? How about those students whose parent cannot afford to buy textbooks? What is the implication of including college textbooks on tuition?
The Benefits of Including Textbook Costs in Tuition
Textbooks are essential to every college student. Including textbook cost in tuition fees will not only be a relieve to college students but also an opportunity for both fortunate and less fortunate students as they both will access necessary learning material and information. Students from less fortunate families or earn scholarships are forced to work after classes to save money for textbooks. In some cases, college students drop out of college simply because they are unable to afford the cost of purchasing the required learning materials (Lytle). When textbook costs are included in tuition, scholarship and grant-sponsored students will study without struggling to find money to buy textbooks.
Improving Access and Academic Performance
Making textbooks available to all students by including them in tuition aid students who are unable to cope up with the continued rise in textbook prices. The student will spend more time in school studying rather than having skipping classes to look for jobs to help meet the expensive cost of the textbook. Leaving the burden of buying textbooks to students implies that some student will have to go an extra mile to get money for textbooks. Since the student will spend much time out of class, their academic performance is likely to reduce. With the increasing annual price of textbooks, both parents and students will strain when forced to buy them (Carrns). When this amount is included on other charges such as parking permits among other supplies, students and parents’ wallet will be burdened.
Improving Accessibility for All Students
The U.S Public Interest Research Group’s study indicates that up to 65% for students are unable to acquire needed textbooks due to cost. 94% of the student participants were concerned the inaccessibility would hurt their grade (Leoni). As much as colleges are vying to attract more students, some can differentiate themselves by offering textbook costs bundled with tuition. The approach increases not only convenience in collages but also aid student and parents to cope up with skyrocketing college outlays as it lowers textbook’s cost and comes up with a budgeted expense. Besides, the textbooks-in tuition model allows college students to use financial aids to pay for textbooks thus lowering the costs needed to pay upfronts. Low costs prepare students fully for classes, thus positive results.
Reducing Burden and Improving Efficiency
Furthermore, including textbooks in tuition will not only reduce pressure on the student but also make instructor’s work easier. The initiative will shift the responsibility of purchasing textbooks from student to institutions which will purchase enough material relative to the number of admitted students. Consequently, all students irrespective of their financial background as long as tuition fee paid will be able to attend classes thus improving their grades.
The Impact on Third-Parties and Bookshops
As much as third-parties and bookshops will be affected while including textbooks to tuition, the success of college students is greatly influenced by the availability and access to the relevant learning resources. Including textbook in tuition, will provide equal opportunity to all student to access the textbook hence improving their performance. The process will reform colleges as they will cut down the use of third-party textbook contracts and come up with bookstores program in-house. Colleges will do better by not having a huge conglomerate managing book distribution and sales. High textbooks costs imply that students’ time and gain in classes are a loss. Textbooks in tuition prepare students to form meaningful work and purposeful lives in reforming the global society. Lowering the textbooks cost prepares students for classes and professors or instructors will be less concerned about classes without needed learning materials.
Works Cited
Carrns, Ann. “A New Cost at College: Digital Access Codes.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Sept. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/09/24/your-money/a-new-cost-at-college-digital-access-codes.html.
Clifton, Derrick. “Why College Textbooks Should Be Free.” The Daily Dot, 11 Dec. 2015, www.dailydot.com/via/college-open-textbooks-free-affordability/.
Leoni, Sara. "How Bundling Textbooks Into Tuition Is Transforming The College Experience – PUPN." PUPN, 2015, http://www.pupnmag.com/article/how-bundling-textbooks-into-tuition-is-transforming-the-college-experience/http://www.pupnmag.com/article/how-bundling-textbooks-into-tuition-is-transforming-the-college-experience/. Accessed 14 Oct 2018.
Lytle, jacqueline. "Tuition Should Include Textbooks | The Current." Nsucurrent.Nova.Edu, 2016, https://nsucurrent.nova.edu/2016/10/04/tuition-should-include-textbooks/. Accessed 14 Oct 2018.
