Published February 18, 2010

If you’ve ever wondered why students always gripe about textbook prices, you’re not alone. According to a report by the California Public Interest Research Group titled “Ripoff 101,” the average student spends $900 every year on textbooks, and prices are increasing faster than the inflation rate for every new edition released. Students obviously can’t do much about the rising prices of textbooks, but the same can’t be said for the professors who assign them. In fact, there are a number of ways that professors can save their students money and earn their eternal gratitude in the process.

One of the most important things for professors to note is the timing of textbook assignments. If a student wants to buy a used book online, where the lowest prices are usually available, they must wait longer than if they bought it new from the school book store. If the syllabus or book assignments are released directly before the class begins, there is no time for the book to arrive, so the student must purchase one new, spending far more money. If the textbooks cannot be assigned in time, the professor might consider making the textbook readings and homework optional for the first week or two, allowing time for the textbooks to arrive.

A method to directly diminish the price of textbooks is not to assign any that could be photocopied or placed on E-Res instead. If a student can gain the same information from a Web site or electronic reserve, a textbook is unnecessary. If a work of literature is in the public domain, it can often be found online instead of in an expensive anthology. Combined with links to relevant Web sites, the textbook may be taken out of the equation altogether, making publishers quake in their boots and students jump for joy due to the money saved.

If the textbook is deemed absolutely necessary, professors should make sure a book is placed on library reserve to allow students to view portions of the text without being forced to buy the book. Unfortunately, this method is not always reliable due to high demand. Perhaps students can pool their money to purchase extra reserve books for current and future students of the class or used books can be donated toward such a purpose.

Easily updateable and distributable, e-books may soon make it harder for publishers to rip off students with expensive bundle packs, shiny covers and yearly new editions, but until then, colleges and professors should try to help their students ease the pain of book purchases. After all, we already pay tuition—every little bit helps as far as a broke college student is concerned.