Making textbooks more affordable

Sen. Norm Coleman

Minnesota Daily

n today's world, the importance of a college education cannot be overstated. Not only does it foster personal growth and open doors for professional achievement, but educating the next generation is critical for our nation's future in an increasingly competitive and crowded global marketplace. Yet, as we all know, the cost of college has increased significantly during recent years. I am concerned that the rising cost of higher education is forcing many potential students to opt out of a college education because it is simply not financially feasible.

As many students and their parents know, one of the somewhat overlooked, but still significant, contributors to college costs is course textbooks. With a son in college and a daughter on her way, I am no stranger to the impact this can have on the family budget. Over the past two decades, textbook prices have nearly tripled to an average of almost $900 per year. This comes on top of the $7,809 average cost of tuition and fees that Minnesota's students are paying this year at our public four-year institutions. 

These additional costs place a further burden on the budgets of students and their families - and they are often unforeseen when calculating the real costs of college.