Photo Courtesy of the AUM bookstore
The debate of purchasing textbooks
By: Victoria Salters
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — With complete transparency, as a college senior, I have avoided purchasing a textbook for the last few years. Every year I begin my semester with a similar routine. I make sure to register and I attend classes like usual. However, if I can make it through the first test without the textbook, I opt against purchasing it. If I do need the textbook, I always choose an eBook.
This “course of action” is not one that was born out of rebellion but out of necessity. As a first-generation college student, I think the prices of higher education can feel overwhelming. Many students find themselves making tough financial decisions every semester. Whether the question is what dorm to stay in, what textbooks are absolutely necessary to purchase or what can be done to lower the balance on their student accounts. Students across the U.S. grapple with these challenges daily. According to The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), between 2012-2022 colleges estimated that textbooks and supplies cost first-year, full time undergraduate students $1,000 to $1,250 on average.
Senior Camden Thornton has worked for the AUM bookstore for about two years and occasionally has students asking him for alternate, more affordable ways to purchase the textbook. When asked to describe what the process was like for students purchasing textbooks, Thornton said the fall semester was the first time I experienced “the rush” of students coming into the bookstore. When asked about commonly asked questions students ask, Thornton added, “Due to the prices, many students come into the bookstore wondering if they can rent the books instead of purchasing them or even to take pictures of the inside of the textbooks and give them back to avoid buying them.”
In 2022, higher education textbook sales in the U.S. generated over $3.18 billion in revenue according to wordsrated.com, marking a 1.24% decline in sales the lowest annual revenue of this category over last nine years, excluding the pandemic.
Renting textbooks and purchasing eBooks have become a popular trend for college students lately. Here at AUM, the price for online access codes is automatically charged to student accounts. Thornton said, “Many students aren’t aware the access codes were charged to their accounts and still come into the bookstore wondering how to get access. Many of them are relieved to find out that some of their course material is available to them due to the cost.”
Textbooks are an important component of the college experience for both students and colleges alike. Students across the U.S. work each year to find affordable options to access their course material. Because of the importance of textbooks, I believe that it is important for universities to continue to encourage textbook options for students.
