Digital college texts were meant to help students. Here’s why they didn’t.

“I’m taking a ten-week macroeconomics course, yet my textbook costs over $120 for just five months — and that’s the cheapest option,” lamented my friend at the University of Washington. Sadly, this experience is all too common. Textbook prices have outpaced inflation three times over the past four decades, turning these essential tools into financial burdens.

The shift from print to digital textbooks was supposed to signify progress, but it created more problems than it solved. Many digital textbooks now require students to purchase access codes from publishers, locking them into time-limited subscriptions. Once the code expires, the textbook becomes inaccessible. Thus, we bid adieu to the era when textbooks could be resold or passed down to siblings. With access codes, we are forced to pay full price every time.

The problem worsens when publishers bundle online homework platforms with textbooks, essentially forcing students to buy them as a single, often expensive unit. Instructors might not even use the textbook’s content, preferring their own materials, yet students still have to purchase the bundle simply for homework that affects their grades. Adding insult to injury, sometimes the textbooks included in these bundles don’t even cater to the needs of most students, making the purchase even more unjust. Now, an environmental science student might be forced to pay for a calculus textbook filled with advanced mathematical proofs despite having no use for it.

Publishers are reaping massive profits from this model, charging hundreds of dollars for each digital textbook while their marginal costs remain negligible. Meanwhile, students graduate thousands of dollars deeper in debt, money that could have been invested in tuition, housing, or their futures.

It’s time for a change. Here’s how we can end the era of outrageously priced textbooks:

• Prioritize alternatives: Instructors should avoid assigning textbooks whenever possible. If lecture notes and past materials are sufficient, share them freely. If only digital homework is necessary, allow students to purchase it separately.
• Recommend, don’t assign: Textbooks can be valuable supplements, but when they don’t serve most students, instructors should designate them as “recommended” rather than “required.”
• Embrace open textbooks: When textbooks are necessary, prioritize open-source options. These freely accessible resources offer high-quality content without the hefty price tag.
• Legislative action: For unavoidable traditional textbooks, consider legislation to cap prices and encourage publishers to offer more flexible access options based on students’ needs. Students in 10-week quarter systems shouldn’t have to purchase textbooks for five months.

I’m proud that student groups like WashPIRG are taking the lead. Initiatives promoting open textbooks at universities like UMass Amherst, the University of Maryland and Rutgers have saved students millions of dollars since access to open textbooks became available. We also appreciate local educators who go the extra mile. For example, the team behind the Intermediate Data Programming course at the University of Washington created an open-access textbook on GitHub. This invaluable resource, a compilation of lesson readings, videos and practice problems, benefits students far beyond their own classroom.

Yet, as my friend’s experience highlights, more work must be done. Textbooks are gateways to knowledge, empowering students to become informed citizens and innovators. When these resources are out of reach, it creates an uneven playing field, stifling potential and weakening our society. Making textbooks affordable isn’t about individual success; it’s an investment in a brighter future for us all. Let’s demand this change together.