The most expensive part of college beyond tuition and housing is textbooks. Many times textbooks are a required part of taking a course, and with a 1000 percent price increase between 1997 and 2015, they have become a luxury more so than a school supply.
In a survey conducted in 2020, it was found that 25 percent of students work extra hours to pay for textbooks and other materials, and 11 percent have skipped meals just to afford their textbooks.
Students should not have to choose between necessities and required course materials. The best solution for combating these unaffordable prices is open textbooks. Open textbooks are written under an open license, which means they’re free to read and share. They are high-quality, adaptable, and printable, which gives professors the freedom to mold the textbooks around their lesson plans.
Open textbooks also provide students with the opportunity to take classes they weren’t previously able to due to the cost of materials. It also allows for better performance in classes as it gives students access to supplies they may have otherwise tried to do without.
With an average estimated cost of $27,600 for an in-state public university in Massachusetts, there is no need to add thousands of dollars onto that with textbook prices. With open textbooks, every student is allowed the chance to pursue their education to the fullest.
Jake Hinchey
Wakefield
