A Report on the Feasibility of Textbook Rental - IBHE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYGrowing apprehension about college affordability has fueled public and legislativeinterest in seeking remedies to the financial burden many college students face in purchasingtextbooks. Eighteen states considered measures to reduce the amount students spend on textbooksin 2006, and Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and Washington passed textbook-relatedlegislation. Proposed and adopted legislation has focused primarily on sales tax exemptions,ending the practice of bundling of textbooks with supplementary materials, provisions concerningnew editions with few substantive changes, and faculty textbook selection guidelines.In spring 2006, the Illinois Senate adopted Senate Resolution 692 directing the IllinoisBoard of Higher Education (IBHE), in conjunction with the Illinois Community College Board(ICCB), to study the feasibility of implementing textbook rental programs at Illinois communitycolleges and public universities and/or other textbook cost saving alternatives.IBHE and ICCB surveyed all community colleges and public universities to examine thefeasibility of implementing textbook rental programs. Twenty-seven community colleges and 11public universities responded. IBHE also distributed questionnaires to 49 third-party bookstoresand received 10 responses. In addition, the Board sent questionnaires to the Association ofAmerican Publishers, Follett Corporation, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, and the NationalAssociation of College Stores, all of whom responded to the survey.The study also involved an extensive review of recent publications concerning textbookprices and cost-saving measures, including studies by the U.S. Government Accountability Office(GAO), various state student public interest groups (PIRGS), and trade associations.The following entities provided information to IBHE over the course of the study:• Association of American Publishers, Inc.;• Barnes and Noble College Bookstores;• Follett Corporation;• Illinois Board of Higher Education Faculty Advisory Council;• Illinois Board of Higher Education Student Advisory Committee;• Illinois community colleges;• Illinois Department of Revenue;• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity;• Illinois Finance Authority;• Illinois public universities;• Illinois Retail Merchants Association;• National Association of College Stores;• National Advisory Committee on Student Financial Aid; and• third-party bookstores.Findings• According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), textbook costs increased186 percent between 1987 and 2004, an average of 6 percent annually.-7-