Textbook Affordability | Photo by Kelsie Tomlinson | The Wright State Guardian
The cost of textbooks for Wright State University (WSU) students decreases as OhioLink provides alternative course materials and faculty resources.
Average cost of textbooks
During the Dec. 10 Board of Trustees Meeting, the board approved the annual Affordability and Efficiency report.
The report, required by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, reviews the university’s financial efficiency, staffing and textbook affordability.
The department requires Ohio public colleges and universities to make efforts towards lowering textbook costs.
According to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 report, the average cost for new textbooks is $71.77 and the average cost for used textbooks is $53.79. This is significantly lower from previous years.
In 2018, the average cost for new textbooks was $140.82 and $96.88 for used books according to the FY2018 affordability and efficiency report.
OhioLink
WSU is a part of OhioLink, a collaborative, state-run network of educational resources that universities and their faculty members receive assistance in finding affordable options for their course materials and course textbooks.
Anna Bendo, director of affordable learning initiatives for OhioLink, explains how the organization works with major textbook publishers, like McGraw-Hill, to provide textbook discounts for universities. OhioLink also offers a variety of programs to university faculty members to assist and educate how they can make course materials more affordable.
“Textbooks are increasing in cost at a much higher rate than most things and [it is] a burden for students of those textbooks new every semester,” Bendo said. “I do think faculty are not only aware of this problem but want to do something about it.”
Some instructors automatically include OhioLink resources in their course, while other materials can be accessed through Wright State Libraries.
