The most dreadful moment at the beginning of a semester is filling your bookstore cart with pricey textbooks. Although there are so many options in what type of textbook you can purchase (new, used, rent, online), the prices add up.
The average cost of a new college textbook in 2022, was $105.37. A typical student at Fairfield University takes four to five classes a semester making that almost $500 a semester. For the past three years, I have spent more than $500 each semester just on textbooks. Many courses require more than one text as well, doubling that price. What frustrates me the most is that many classes only assign a couple of readings in a textbook, making them somewhat useless. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that 65% of college students nationwide have decided not to purchase their textbook purchases despite concerns about their grades.
It is unfair and unreasonable to ask a student to pay for textbooks when there are more innovative and engaging ways to teach class material that don’t burn a hole through students’ wallets. In a digital era, it is essential to take advantage of the tools right at our fingertips. A simple scan of a textbook page saves students money! I always am grateful when a professor decides to post readings online, rather than requiring the purchase of a textbook. Professors can create ways by using multimedia approaches to help students budget. It is quite unreasonable to ask Fairfield students to pay for textbooks. There are strategies like online texts or scanning chapters to limit the costs for students. Higher education and private schools have sneaky ways of gaining a few extra dollars, and this is one of them.
The expensive nature of college textbooks makes class material not accessible to every student. It’s naive to think that all Fairfield students come from the same economic background. Higher education tends to have a way of revealing privilege, and requiring the purchase of a textbook is one of them. Class materials should not be a privilege. Fairfield University should cover costs for textbooks to help make all students feel welcome. Providing textbooks would also be a draw to many applying to college.
Many colleges and universities cover the costs of textbooks for their students. A private university in Nashville, Tennessee, Trevecca Nazarene University, covers textbook costs for students. It is asked that you return the textbook(s) by the end of the semester, but there are no upfront costs!
Although I have gone on about Fairfield making us pay for textbook costs, The DiMenna-Nyselius Library does offer donated textbooks to students. However, they do not have a large selection or options for all majors. This is a small step in helping our university become a more cost-friendly campus.
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