House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee’s Senior Republican Member, today pointed to a new report from the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance highlighting the continuing upward spiral in the costs of college textbooks.  The Advisory Committee serves as an independent source of advice and counsel to Congress and the Secretary of Education on student financial aid policy.  Last year, McKeon requested that the panel conduct the report, and it held four hearings – including one in McKeon’s congressional district – to gather stakeholder input on the issue of textbook costs.  The report, from which initial key findings were made available today, is scheduled for a complete release later this week.

“As the college tuition and fees continue to spike year after year, it is important to shine a spotlight on these cost increases so parents and students – the consumers of higher education – can hold institutions accountable for their role in the college cost crisis,” said McKeon, who chaired a past hearing of the House higher education subcommittee on textbook costs.  “And with millions of low and middle income students being priced out of a college education, the soaring cost of textbooks is not making the situation any better.  I am pleased that institutions and publishers are beginning to tackle this issue on behalf of students and parents alike.”

College textbook prices have increased at twice the rate of inflation during the last two decades, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report requested by McKeon.  More specifically, textbook prices nearly tripled from December 1986 to December 2004.  The Advisory Committee found that these costs have increased primarily because of a structural problem within the textbook market.  The market is driven by supply rather than demand, according to the panel’s findings, leaving students with little say over the price or quality of a particular book.

To help compensate for this structural problem, in its report, the Advisory Committee is encouraging institutions to participate in used textbook and textbook rental initiatives, use “no frills textbooks” and “custom textbooks,” and create programs to help students pay for textbooks.  These initiatives have been embraced by many colleges and publishers in recent years, McKeon noted, showing some progress toward addressing the cost issue.

The panel also is recommending the establishment of a national digital marketplace for textbooks.  This system would store content from textbooks digitally, in chapter type form.  Faculty members could then use the system to either custom create a book, based on their instructional needs, and students could use the system to purchase the content in online format, in traditional bound format, or as a basic print-out.  A similar system currently is being implemented by the California State University system.

“Much like the need to shine a spotlight on the dramatic increases in traditional college costs, this latest report will add much-needed sunshine into the discussion about textbook prices as well,” concluded McKeon.  “I am particularly pleased that the state university system in my home state of California is harnessing the power of technology to help address the consistent increase in textbook costs, and I am hopeful that other stakeholders across the country will take note.”

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