NACS Supports Affordable College Textbook Act

Proposed Federal Legislation Would Create a New Open Textbook Program
A nd Strengthen Requirements Regarding Textbook Pricing Information

OBERLIN, OH (April 4, 2109) - The National Association of College Stores (NACS) today endorsed the Affordable College Textbook Act of 2019, which was introduced by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). The bill, which was introduced Thursday, proposes a grant program to create and expand the use of open textbooks and strengthen course material affordability efforts on college campuses.

“NACS thanks Sen. Dick Durbin (IL) for his leadership and support for affordability programs that aim to reduce the cost of college course materials,” said Richard Hershman, NACS vice president of government relations. “This legislation will strengthen the Higher Education Opportunity Act and create greater actionable transparency for students and institutions.”

The Affordable College Textbook Act is co-sponsored by Sen. Angus King (I-ME), Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) has introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation would:

• Create a grant program to support pilot programs at higher education institutions to develop and expand the use of open textbooks with priority for programs that achieve the highest savings for students;
• Openly license textbooks or materials developed with program funds;
• Require grant recipients to complete a report on the effectiveness of the program in achieving savings;
• Update and strengthen federal requirements regarding textbook pricing information; and
• Require the Government Accountability Office to provide Congress with an updated report on the cost of higher education textbooks.

Open textbooks and other Open Education Resources (OERs) are released under an open copyright license that allows for their free use, reuse, modification, and sharing. College stores and their partners, including campus libraries and commercial and non-commercial providers, play important roles in helping with the discovery and acquisition of OERs for faculty, and the distribution of OERs in formats that meet academic and individual student needs, Hershman said.

Since passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, colleges, universities, and their bookstores have made significant progress in making course materials more affordable for students through innovations including rental programs, digital delivery, online price comparison marketplaces, price match guarantees, faculty lower-cost discovery and selection tools, and supporting OERs and other low cost or no additional cost student alternatives.

According to the most recent NACS Student Watch survey, the average college student spent $484 in 2017-2018 on required course materials, down from $576 the previous academic year. Student spending on materials has declined 31 percent over the past 10 years, according to NACS.

“NACS supports efforts to enhance affordable and equitable access to quality course materials for all students,” Hershman said. “NACS and its member stores will continue to support students through a wide range of affordability programs and innovations.”

Media Advisory – NACS Annual Textbook Affordability Conference, April 14-16

Creating affordable, accessible, and effective course materials will be the focus of the NACS annual Textbook Affordability Conference on April 14-16. The conference will bring together teams of university leaders, faculty, publishers, librarians, and campus store directors to develop new content models to support student success. Sponsored by NACS, the conference will take place April 14-16 at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Registration information is available at www.NACS.org/TAC. Groups of three or more from the same institution will receive a discount on the conference registration rate.

Collaborating with NACS on this year’s conference are the University of Minnesota Bookstores, University of Minnesota Libraries, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, California State University, Campus Stores Canada, Minnesota State University, the Association of American Publishers-Higher Education, and the National Association of College Auxiliary Services.

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About The National Association of College Stores

The National Association of College Stores (NACS) is the professional trade association representing the collegiate retailing industry. NACS represents campus retailers and industry-related companies that supply course materials and other merchandise and services to campus stores. NACS provides education and other resources that help its member stores support student success, the campus experience and the academic missions of higher education institutions. NACS is headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio. Additional information can be found online at www.nacs.org