Student members of the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are urging universities to provide low-cost “open” alternatives to textbooks, citing the high cost of current options.
A survey, conducted by student PIRG groups throughout the country during the fall of 2013, showed that 65 percent of college students have decided not to buy a college textbook because of its high price. Nearly half of students said that textbook costs influenced how many courses, or which courses, they took.
According to the report, the average college student spends $1,200 per year on textbooks and supplies, and textbook prices have increased by 82 percent over the past decade.
The rate of increase in the amount students spend on books and supplies has slowed some in the last several years, the study said, crediting in part the increased availability of rentals, used books and e-books.