February 9, 2006
Albany-- The price of college textbooks is so high these days, some students just won't shell out the money. One study showed 60 percent of students nationwide simply don't buy all the books they're supposed to have. It can cut costs but it can also lower grades. There are ways that students can catch a break.
$142.50, $91.50 and $101.50. The dollars and cents can add up pretty quickly for college students. "I am a junior Marketing major and I had to purchase this book which is Consumer Behavior. It was $144," says ASU student Jessica Dorsey.
This semester, Albany State student Jessica Dorsey also had to purchase a marketing research book which was $101.50. Add to that a data information systems book for $107.00 and you'll get what she calls a hefty receipt. "It's very difficult seeing as I don't have a book slip. I have to pay for my books out of pocket," says Dorsey.
Because of those out of pocket costs, many students nationwide choose not to come out of pocket at all. "Some people do go without. They try to share with a friend or photocopy some pages," says Dorsey.
"Books should be your first priority when getting a college education," says Book Store Manager Edgars Patani.
It's hard to stay focused with the heavy costs of books these days. For basic books like English, Math, Biology, it costs about $350 total for new books but there are options for students. You can buy the same books used and save about 100 bucks. "If you have to come to the book store, try to look for the used edition," says Dorsey.
Along with used books, students can also shop around online or buy from other students. "The students will vary their prices depending on the price of the book in the bookstore so they can range from $50 to $80," says Dorsey. However, those prices likely will increase more.
"Book prices are consistent but they kind of increase every year say about 5 or 10 percent," says Patani. Students like Jessica say there's no price on education. "If you want to get the proper education, you have to have the proper books and you have to pay the price," says Dorsey.
But it's a price that has many students passing the books by in an effort to save dollars on higher education.
Many textbooks also have costly add-ons like CD-ROM's and workbooks that many students say they don't even use. ASU will give students up to 50 percent of their purchase price if they sell their books back at the end of the semester.
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