Cost of Textbooks Hinders College Experience
By: Louis Peritore
In late August, students receive their first messages with a syllabus from their new professors. That same message lists a link to an expensive textbook that you “have to have” for class. As if payments for tuition aren’t enough, now you need to spend an extra few hundred dollars for a textbook that most likely won’t be used at all during the semester.
CSI is a great way to earn a college degree while keeping loans down. However, it isn’t perfect. There are many things the school can improve. Students complain about parking or the inconvenient time slots of classes, but I believe making textbooks free for all classes will help boost students’ performances overall.
In the beginning of every semester, I hear fellow students complain about textbook costs, especially when not every class relies on the content. Students feel it is a gamble whether or not a textbook purchase is really worth it as teachers often do not use the textbooks. The purchase seems more like a cash grab instead of a tool that can help students.
A study done by Georgetown University reveals that students who had access to free textbooks performed “markedly” better than students without access to them. I believe when class resources are more readily available, especially at a free price, students are more likely to use them than if they are required to purchase them.
I have two solutions to fixing this problem. The first is to divert funds from other areas in the school’s budget to pay for textbooks. The second is to have the city fund CUNY textbook costs so there is one less thing students need to worry about at the start of each semester.
