For Immediate Release
Dear Chairs and Ranking Members,
We the student government leaders of the undersigned colleges and universities write to you today on the urgent need to address the skyrocketing price of textbooks, and a request to create a national open textbook pilot grants program in the FY18 appropriations bill.
Textbooks and other materials are one of the largest hidden costs students experience in their pursuit of a degree. According to the College Board, the average student budgets $1,250 for textbooks and supplies each year; individual books can cost up to $400. Students have employed various tactics, like buying used and utilizing library reserves, to cut costs, but in an age where access codes hide essential homework assignments behind an online paywall, these measures are becoming less effective. Sixty-five percent of students have skipped buying a textbook at some point because of cost, and each year, $3 billion of federal student aid goes to pay for textbooks, according to the Student PIRGs.
Open textbook can get students the materials they need to succeed on day one of class, for free. Open textbooks are high quality, peer reviewed educational resources that are published under an open copyright that makes them free to download and can be printed at cost. Studies from BYU and Achieving the Dream indicate that the use of open textbooks increases student learning outcomes, lets them take more courses, and graduate on time.
The recently passed bipartisan budget agreement included a commitment for an additional $2 billion in FY18 for “student-centered programs that aid college completion and affordability.” While you work towards a final spending bill for fiscal year 2018, we urge you to support the affordability of higher education on all fronts, including the cost of textbooks. We ask that Congress provide $10 million of this funding to support institutions of higher education in creating new open textbooks and expanding the use of open textbooks at colleges and universities across the country.
Sincerely,
Asnuntuck Community College (CT)
Ryan C. Russin, Student Body President
Association of Big Ten Students
Samantha Geisinger, Executive Director
Berkshire Community College (MA)
Don Ross, SGA President
Bunker Hill Community College (MA)
Eva Montrond, VP of Student Affairs
Emporia State University (KS)
Megan McReynolds, Student Body President
Illinois State University
Beau Grzanich, Student Body President
Iowa State University
Cody West, Student Body President
Kennesaw State University (GA)
Victoria Brock, Student Government President
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Molly Gallagher, Student Body President
Louisiana State University at Eunice
Lauren Michelle Johnson, Student Body President
Massachusetts College of Art & Design
Stephanie Houten, Student Government Association President
Massachusetts Bay Community College
Michael Gallagher, Student Trustee
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Samantha Giffen, Student Government Association President
McKendree University (IL)
Erin Fleshren, Student Body President
Michigan State University
Katherine Rifiotis, Vice President for Internal Administration
Mount Wachusett Community College (MA)
Ashley E McHugh, Secretary and Community College Segmental Advisor
Naugatuck Valley Community College (CT)
Emily Verdosci, Student Body President
North Shore Community College
Fanny Y. Cai, Student Body President
Northern Essex Community College
Nathan Miller, SGA President
PHENOM (Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts)
Zac Bears, Executive Director
Quinebaug Valley Community College (CT)
Heather Vogt, Student Government President
Rhodes College (TN)
Thomas A. Mitchell, Student Body President
Rutgers University New Brunswick
Evan Covello, Student Body President
Rutgers University Camden
Tooba Hussain, Student Government Association President
Rutgers University Newark
Adebimpe Elegbeleye, Student Body President
Skidmore College (NY)
Henry Jaffe, SGA VP for Academic Affairs
Southern Oregon University
Daryl Maplethorpe, Student Body President
The Pennsylvania State University
Andrew Uhring, Association of Big Ten Students Executive Board
The University of Oklahoma
Yaseen Shurbaji, Student Body President
The University of Texas at Austin
Alejandrina Guzman, Student Body President
Tunxis Community College (CT)
Andrew A. Albert, Student Government President
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Molly O’Scannell, ASUAF Student Body President
University of Arkansas
Macarena Arce, Student Body Treasurer
University of California, Berkeley
Zaynab Abdulqadir-Morris, Student Body President
University of California, Santa Cruz
Maxine Jimenez, Student Union Assembly President
University of Cincinnati
Bashir Emlemdi, Student Body President
University of Colorado – Boulder
Troy Fossett, Student Body President
University of Connecticut
Ama Appiah, Chairwoman of Academic Affairs and Student Body President-Elect
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Raneem Shamseldin, Student Body President
University of Kansas
Mady Womack, Student Body President
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Anthony D. Vitale , Student Government President
University of Massachusetts Boston
Gray Milkowski, Trustee
University of Michigan
Anushka Sarkar, Student Body President
University of Minnesota
Maxwell J. Hurst, Director of Government & Legislative Affairs, Minnesota Student Association
University of North Dakota
Cole Bachmeier, Student Body President
University of North Georgia
William Wheeler, Student Government Association President
University of Northern Iowa
Tristan J. Bernhard, Vice President of Student Body
University of Texas at Arlington
Katie Gosa, Student Body President
University of Virginia
Sarah Kenny, Student Council President
University of Washington
Osman Salahuddin, Student Body President
West Virginia University
Blake N. Humphrey, Student Body President and President of the Association of Big Twelve Students
Wichita State University
Paige E. Hungate, Student Body President
Contact: Kaitlyn Vitez, Higher Education Advocate, U.S. PIRG and the Student PIRGs, kvitez@pirg.org