Lawmakers, students want relief from expensive college textbooks

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By Blackwell Thomas | Thursday, February 1, 2007 1:17 AM CST | () comments

SPRINGFIELD — A group of lawmakers is calling for new laws to rein in the rising costs of textbooks at colleges across Illinois.

Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, unveiled a proposal Wednesday that, among other goals, seeks to cut the state’s 5 percent sales tax on textbooks. Such a move would take a $28 million bite out of the state’s coffers.

But, she said, cutting the tax would provide relief to students and “alleviate the rising costs of textbooks for students.”

With a small group of lawmakers, students and college officials at her side for the announcement, Hunter called textbook prices “a growing barrier to college affordability” and said change is needed now.

In addition to the sales tax break, Hunter wants to form a special committee to shape state textbook policy and create rules that limit the use of updated editions of textbooks, which often drive up costs for students.

“This legislative proposal represents a starting point,” she said. “We believe that these three proposed measures will in fact lower the cost of textbooks. Other states, including Colorado, Virginia and Washington, have considered some, if not all of these measures.”

But lawmakers don’t need to look outside the state to find a system for making textbooks affordable.

For more than a century, Eastern Illinois University has offered students their texts through a book rental program in which students pay a rate at the beginning of each semester based on their course load.

Carol Miller, deputy director textbook rental service at EIU, said the program saves students thousands of dollars over the course of four years.

“It is a calling card, a point of pride for EIU to have such a system,” said Miller, who also takes classes at EIU. “I think it’s extremely successful for keeping costs down for students. You are probably looking at a difference of $600 to $800 per year in savings. Over the course of a college education, that can add up to a substantial amount of money.”

EIU student Jeff Lange, a junior history major from Gibson, said he feels lucky to have the book rental program.

“My textbook fee for this semester was $119.25,” he said. “You could spend that on one book at other schools.”

Lange, who is active in student government, said he hears complaints from his peers about student life, but books are not among their beefs.

“I’ve never received one,” he said. “It is the one thing students love.”

In Carbondale, Southern Illinois University sophomore Whitney Weller said the increased cost of textbooks has forced her to look to the Internet for savings.

Blackwell Thomas can be reached at Blackwell.thomas@lee.net or at

(217) 789-0865.