Letter to Margaret Spellings, Secretary of the Department of Education, Re: Lowering Textbook Costs

Letter

Letter to Margaret Spellings, Secretary of the Department of Education, Re: Lowering Textbook Costs

Durbin Requests Meeting with Education Secretary to Discuss Lowering Textbook Costs

After meeting with students across Illinois about the rising cost of education, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today requested a meeting with the Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, to discuss the role of the Department of Education in helping to bring down the high cost of college textbooks. In today's letter, Durbin explained that legislation he authored which requires publishers and higher education institutions to take basic steps to address rising textbook costs was included in the Higher Education Opportunity Act signed into law on August 14.

"I recently met with students across my state of Illinois and they shared stories of the difficulties they face paying for textbooks each semester", wrote Durbin. "The average estimated cost of books and supplies for full-time freshman students is nearly $900, and prices are rising at four times the rate of inflation compared to similar products. Combined with skyrocketing tuition costs, expensive textbooks can make college unaffordable for some students."

"I look forward to working with you to ensure that publishers and higher education institutions are able to implement changes to current practice smoothly and promptly."

Durbin's College Textbook Affordability Act as included in the Higher Education Opportunity Act would:

* Help make textbook costs more manageable by providing students with advance information on textbook prices in course schedules and ensuring faculty have full textbook pricing information when making purchasing decisions;

* Require publishers to include information about textbook price, history of revisions, and lower-priced alternatives when marketing a book to faculty;

* Require publishers who bundle course material to offer the textbooks and supplemental material in unbundled versions.

Text of the letter appears below:

September 11, 2008
The Honorable Margaret Spellings
Secretary
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20202

Dear Secretary Spellings:

The recently enacted reauthorization of the Higher Education Act includes a provision to address college textbook costs. I would welcome an opportunity to meet with you in the next few weeks to discuss the Department's role in meeting the goals of the legislation.

The high cost of college textbooks is a significant financial burden for students. I recently met with students across my state of Illinois and they shared stories of the difficulties they face paying for textbooks each semester. According to the GAO, the average estimated cost of books and supplies for full-time freshman students is nearly $900, and prices are rising at four times the rate of inflation compared to similar products. Combined with skyrocketing tuition costs, expensive textbooks can make college unaffordable for some students.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act, signed into law by the President on August 14, includes language I authored to address this situation. The provisions require publishers and higher education institutions to take a few basic actions to help bring down textbook costs for students. Your leadership can put the nation's higher education community on track for full compliance by July 2010.

I look forward to working with you to ensure that publishers and higher education institutions are able to implement changes to current practice smoothly and promptly.

Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

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