Durbin, King, Smith, Wyden Introduce Legislation To Help Make College Textbooks More Affordable
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) today introduced legislation designed to help students manage costs by making high quality textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public for free. The legislation, known as the Affordable College Textbook Act, would authorize a competitive grant program to support the creation and expansion of open college textbooks—textbooks that are available under an open license, allowing professors, students, researchers, and others to freely access the materials. U.S. Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) will introduce companion legislation in the House.
Textbook costs are one of the most overlooked costs of going to college, but they can be a substantial barrier to pursuing a college education. According to the College Board, the average student at a four-year public institution of higher education spent $1,290 on college books and supplies during the 2024-2025 academic year. In a 2020 U.S. PIRG survey, 65 percent of students decided not to buy a textbook because of the cost, and 94 percent of those students were worried it would affect their grade negatively.
“It’s no secret that college is expensive. On top of the rising cost of tuition, students are expected to shell out additional dollars to purchase expensive, required textbooks for their coursework,” said Durbin. “Open textbooks are a tried and true way to save students money while ensuring they have access to quality instructional materials. I’m introducing the Affordable College Textbook Act again to support students pursuing higher education.”
“A college education is far more expensive than the simple cost of tuition, room, and board — and the textbook market causes serious sticker shock on campuses across the nation, ” said King.“Students are faced with numerous additional fees from the time they move in until the time they graduate. The Affordable College Textbook Act is a commonsense step toward saving students — and teachers — from the hidden, overlooked fees associated with a college education. Thanks to my colleagues for prioritizing the success of the next generation of students.”
“Buying textbooks for college classes is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for students to succeed in class. But far too often, their price tag puts a significant burden on our students’ budgets,” said Smith. “Free, open textbooks have already greatly lowered costs for Minnesota students, and I want more students to have access to that resource. This legislation is an essential part of decreasing the cost of higher education in this country.”
“With the cost of college attendance skyrocketing, students shouldn’t also have to spend hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of dollars extra to access textbooks that they will use for a few classes,” Wyden said. “Open textbooks will ensure that students get all the essential academic tools they need at their fingertips for free. I thank Senator Durbin for his effort to lift a financial burden off students' shoulders so they can go after their goals in and outside of the classroom.”
The Affordable College Textbook Act expands and updates provisions from Durbin’s College Textbook Affordability Act contained in the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act. The provisions aimed to make more information available to students looking to manage college textbook costs. The 2008 law required textbook publishers to disclose to faculty the cost of a textbook to their students, required schools to publish textbook price information in course catalogues when practicable, and required publishers to offer unbundled supplemental materials so that students had choices. The provisions took effect on July 1, 2010.
Durbin secured $7 million in funding for the Open Textbook Pilot Program, based on the Affordable College Textbook Act, in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Omnibus appropriations bill. The FY24 funding brings the total federal investment in the Open Textbook Pilot to $54 million. It is estimated that projects supported by the Pilot to date will result in more than $250 million in eventual savings for students.
Specifically, the Affordable College Textbook Act would:
- Authorize a grant program, similar to the Open Textbook Pilot program for which Congress already has appropriated $54 million and saved students more than $250 million. The grant would support projects at colleges to create and expand the use of open textbooks, with priority for programs that would achieve the highest savings for students;
- Ensure that any open textbooks or educational materials created using program funds would be free and easily accessible to the public;
- Require entities who receive funds to complete a report on the effectiveness of the program in achieving savings for students;
- Improve and update existing requirements for publishers and institutions that provide information on textbook costs, including new disclosure requirements to students on how companies providing digital materials may use student data; and
- Require the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress with an update on the price trends of college textbooks.
The Affordable College Textbook Act is supported by SPARC, National Association of College Stores, Student PIRGs, U.S. PIRG, American Federation of Teachers, American Association of Community Colleges, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, Association of Community College Trustees, Association of College & Research Libraries, Association of Research Libraries, CAST, Creative Commons, National Education Association, Open Oregon Educational Resources, the Council of Administrators of Special Education, Today’s Students Coalition, UNCF, and Young Invincibles .
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