Report on Curbing the Cost of College Textbooks Proposes a National
Digital Marketplace
June 5, 2007
A new report from the federal
Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance (ACSFA) details how
colleges and states are working to make textbooks more affordable for
students and how they can partner with the private sector to adapt these
efforts to the rapidly changing textbook market.
Turn the Page: Making
College Textbooks More Affordable presents the results of a
yearlong study by ACSFA commissioned by Congress, specifically by Reps.
Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) and David Wu (D-OR). ACSFA
serves as an independent source of advice to Congress and the Department
of Education on student financial aid policy.
The report acknowledges that
colleges and universities have spearheaded a variety of initiatives
aimed at offering more affordable textbooks to students, ranging from
textbook rental programs to ensuring sufficient financial aid to cover
textbook expenses for students who cannot afford them. Certain efforts
are singled out, such as the increasing use of digital
technology.
However, the report concludes,
a fundamental change is needed in the way the textbook market is
structured, saying that the “supply-driven, producer-centric
market must be transformed into a demand-driven, college- and
student-centric market. Pursuing short-term improvements in
affordability without addressing the problem of market failure is likely
to undermine the quality and accessibility of learning resources in the
future.”
Looking toward the future, the
report proposes creating a “National Digital Marketplace” of
instruction materials, such as the pioneering effort currently in
progress at the California State University system. The digital
marketplace would be an infrastructure where faculty could choose both
fee-based and free components from various publishers, students could
access digital information or order printed materials through web
portals customized by their colleges, and publishers could market their
materials more efficiently.
Speaking to the ACSFA on June
4, Terry Hartle, senior vice president at the American Council on
Education, commended the committee for its work, saying that the report
wisely rejects rigid and counterproductive mandates in favor of
voluntary, flexible and institution-driven action to address this
problem.
“While I would not
underestimate the challenges that would have to be surmounted in order
to make a thriving National Digital Marketplace a reality, I believe the
advantages to having that kind of resource—in the way of
efficiency, transparency, innovation, convenience and lower
cost—make it a concept worth exploring,” he told the
committee.
Hartle also praised the
committee’s recognition that the issue of textbook affordability
is an important component of the overall effort to curb college costs,
especially for low-income students, “for whom increased access to
higher education is a broadly shared public policy priority.” He
told the committee that college presidents and chancellors are attuned
to the issue of college affordability and are committed to exploring all
promising avenues aimed at decreasing overall college costs, including
the cost of textbooks and course materials.
For more information
about the report, see the Department of Education’s web site.
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