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In an effort to assist college students with the high costs of education, Congress has recently made the next step in passing a bill to help students cope with the price of textbooks.
The House of Representatives voted Feb. 7 to require tighter regulations for colleges and publishers in the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. If the bill becomes law, it would reinstall portions of the Higher Education Act-which is the law that governs federal student aid.
The College Opportunity and Affordability Act would require publishers to promote custom textbooks for the purpose of eliminating the high expenses of packaged books.
Under the bill, textbook prices could be cheaper because they would be sold individually rather than packaged with other publications.
By informing bookstores of what books they will use, instructors can increase the buyback price to students and increase the number of used books available for them to buy, according to Charles Schmidt, spokesperson for the National Association of College Stores (NACS), the professional trade association, which represents the collegiate retail industry.
Additionally, publishers would be required to show a disclosure. In all promotional materials publishers would need to note their textbooks' wholesale prices, the copyright dates of previous editions, summaries of substantial content revisions and whether the book is currently available in paperback.
In addition, the bill would require universities to list the course material that would be required within the course catalog, which is the directory of classes that students may register for in the following semester.
Schmidt said the bill would increase industry transparency, mandating textbook requirements to be listed along with class registration lists. This would allow students to be aware of additional finances prior to the beginning of a class.
While Schmidt said NACS is supportive of the bill, he said he is concerned with some components of it.
Because many universities are unaware what books teachers will require, Schmidt said incorrect pricing in the course catalog that universities give to students each semester could occur.
"Know that the requirement to posting the course adoption information is not going to be physically possible in some cases," he said. "Trying to get on the same page may cost colleges more and that is passed along in some way, shape or form."
Schmidt also believes there needs to be better communication between faculty, administrators, students and university bookstores through textbook advisory committees.
"It's getting everyone on the same page and working together," Schmidt said. "That has shown a lot of success in places where it has happened."
James Simpson, assistant director of the Miami University Bookstore, said that Congress's idea is nothing new. He also said that he is unsure that Congress could accomplish this goal.
"We are all for lowering prices," Simpson said. "But, it is a situation where we have no control; it is in the hands of the publisher."
Miami sophomore Courtney Anvender said she has not heard of the Congressional movement.
"I think that it's a great idea," she said. "But, doesn't Congress have bigger fish to fry?"
However, Anvender, who pays for her own books, said the cost of course textbooks can be expensive.
"I think that textbooks are way overpriced," she said. "If book costs were lowered, I would have more money to spend on other things."
The Senate has already passed its version of the Higher Education Act, which does not include the restrictions on textbooks that were proposed from the House of Representatives.
Now that the House has voted, a conference committee of legislators from both chambers will discuss the differences to come to a compromise, according to Schmidt.
Although Congress has completed another stage in passing the bill, Simpson said there is another way to keep college textbooks affordable.
"The best way to lower prices is to educate faculty so they are aware of the prices and deals available," Simpson said.
Both Simpson and Anvender are skeptical as to if the bill will actually be executed and neither believes that it will make a great impact on their lives.
"Our sales margin will not be affected by lowering or subsidizing prices; we will still get the same percentage of profit from the total cost," Simpson said.
Additional reporting by Ann Koblenzer and Christopher Washington.
