Reduction in textbook costs is goal of UNC plan
Campuses in the University of North Carolina system must reduce textbook costs for their students under a plan approved Friday by the Board of Governors.
By January, students in large introductory courses will either be able to sell their books back to the schools at the end of the year or rent books for the course.
Textbook costs at UNC schools usually add $800 to $1,200 to students’ bills each year. And textbook costs nationally have nearly tripled from 1986 to 2004, according to a study by the federal Government Accountability Office. The UNC system for the past year has experimented with ways of keeping textbook prices down. At some campuses, bookstores formed a buyback consortium that resulted in more available used books and a better return for students selling their books.
At Fayetteville State University, some professors ordered older textbook editions or let students choose between a new and older version.
Appalachian State, Elizabeth City State and Western Carolina universities already have book rental programs, which are rare around the country. Read full story
