Political Quotes

“textbook costs are one of the most overlooked barriers to college affordability and access, and they are continuing to get more expensive. Over the last decade, 2006 to 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index shows that consumer prices for college textbooks increased almost 90 percent. It means students have to spend more every year. In 2016 to 2017, the College Board recommended that students budget an average of $1,250 for their books. A survey released by the Student Public Interest Research Group reported that 65 percent of students decided not to buy a textbook because of the cost, and 94 percent of those students worried it would hurt their grade. This week, I joined with Senators Al Franken and Angus King and Representatives Jared Polis and Kyrsten Sinema to reintroduce the Affordable College Textbook Act. This bill would establish a grant program to encourage the creation and use of high-quality open textbooks which are free to use. Greater access to and widespread use of these open textbooks can save each student who uses one hundreds of dollars, and, long term, it puts pressure on the traditional college textbook market to come up with affordable alternatives. My home State of Illinois provides an example of how this bill would work. The University of Illinois used $150,000 in Federal money to pilot an open textbook project at its main campus.…”