Textbooks too expensive? Rutgers trying open option

• A $12,000 grant from the Office of the Chief Information Officer has been earmarked for the program
• The program is expected to be in place for the fall semester.

NEW BRUNSWICK – Rutgers University is initiating a one-year pilot program to help faculty from across the university modify their courses to use open textbooks, a money-saving option for students.

Details of the program are in development, university spokesperson E.J. Miranda said.

"We anticipate the pilot program will be in place for the fall semester," he said.

A $12,000 grant from the Office of the Chief Information Officer is earmarked for the program, Miranda  said.

Last spring, NJPIRG worked with the Rutgers University Senate to call for the administration to create an open-source textbook program akin to the one already in place at UMass-Amherst, where students have saved more than $1.4 million in just the last four years, according to a NJPIRG Students' statement. .

Open textbooks are available for free online, are free to download and are affordable in print, the statement said. They have the potential to put billions back into student pockets, but remain underutilized by faculty and administration as a viable alternative to expensive textbooks, the statement said.

“With this grant program, Rutgers can ensure that students have access to the learning materials they need to succeed- it’s good for students, it’s good for faculty, and it’s good for the school.” said Nick Jermer, the student chair of NJPIRG, “Universities across the country looking for solutions to the problem of high textbook costs and this is pilot program will put Rutgers on the map as a leader in open and affordable education.”

The pilot program was announced in conjunction with NJPIRG Students' release of a new report investigating the  impact of high textbook prices on today’s students.

The report, titled “Covering the Cost,” is based on a nationwide survey of nearly 5,000 students, including 1,098 from New Jersey, the statement said.

Over the last decade, the price of college textbooks has soared, the statement said. Since 2006, the cost of a college textbook increased by 73 percent  over four times the rate of inflation. Today, individual textbooks often cost over $200, sometimes as high as $400.

More than a decade ago, NJPIRG launched its campaign for textbook affordability to call attention to high prices and to highlight potential solutions to the problem. No research to date, had attempted to investigate the degree at which prices actually affect student’s financial standing and behavior, the statement said.

The report's goal was to fill that gap and make the case for urgent action around high textbook prices, the statement said.

Key findings from the report include:

• More than one-quarter or 26 percent of students replied that they had used financial aid to pay for their textbooks. Nationally, this finding means that over 5.2 million students use financial aid to purchase their textbooks.
• For those that used financial aid, the amount of financial aid dollars they put toward purchasing textbooks was more than $311 on average per semester. Applied nationally, that means more than $1.5 billion dollars in financial aid is spent on textbooks every semester.

Rutgers' NJPIRG students help kick off campaign

“For many students, high textbook prices mean a lose-lose choice,"  said Janelle Melecio, a student coordinator on the affordable textbooks campaign. "They can either purchase the necessary textbook and add to their financial hardship, take time away from studying to work extra hours, or go without the book and accept the impact on their ability to learn and perform well. This report makes one thing clear: we can’t afford to accept the status quo in college textbook publishing any longer.”

Staff Writer Susan Loyer: 732-565-7243; sloyer@gannettnj.com