Books make up 59% of community college student’s costs, report shows

College students bemoaning the lofty price of textbooks have reason to complain.

State Senator Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach) announced Tuesday that the California State Auditor completed his request for a report on the rising prices of textbooks.

The report concluded that textbooks represent 59% of a community college student’s costs, and 22% of the costs for attending a Cal State University. Textbook retailers charge significantly more than other book publishers, and campus bookstores often raise the price of textbooks by as much as 43% from the publisher’s price, the report stated.

“Every year students are required to buy expensive textbooks for their classes. This imposes a difficult financial burden on them when it is combined with the rising costs of tuition and housing,” Senator Harman said in a release. “Every student should be able to afford the books and supplies they need to succeed in college.”

— Jack Salisbury