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Making Textbooks Affordable
Nationwide, textbook prices continue to drastically outpace inflation rates, causing legislators and college administrators to think outside the box for solutions that will give students some relief. Federal and state legislators have worked to provide some relief through the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 and Florida House Bill 603. But more strategic effort was still needed at the local level. The SPC Board of Trustees is committed to finding ways to make textbooks more affordable. This website outlines this ongoing initiative including:
Redeem your $20 bookstore credit now
Start saving money now! While we know $20 doesn't go a long way these days, every little bit helps. Students enrolled in at least one credit course during the Spring 2012 term will receive a $20 credit at Follett Bookstores. See SPC Textbook Credit Program FAQs for details and limitations.
Students and faculty join the cause
Earlier this year, SPC administrators organized campus meetings with students, faculty and staff on the Clearwater, Seminole, St. Petersburg/Gibbs and Tarpon Springs campuses to hear concerns and get valuable input on how to stem the rising cost of textbooks. As a result, the Textbook Affordability Task Force, a college-wide team of students, faculty, staff and administrators was formed. This grass roots group will meet twice each term to follow up on initial efforts and bring new ideas to the table.
Giving students a choice
Students have more choices than ever when it comes to getting textbooks:
- Purchase used textbooks
Purchasing used textbooks can save students 25% off the price of a new book. SPC faculty continues to work with Follett bookstores to increase the number of used books available on campus and online.
- Rent textbooks at less than half the price
Follett's new Rent-a-text program gives students the option of renting select new or used textbook for an academic term rather than purchasing it. Renting a textbook can save students more than 50% on average, compared to the purchase price of a new textbook. If you don't want to keep the book, renting may be your least expensive option. Rented texts are simply returned to the bookstore at the end of the term.
- Trade textbooks with other SPC students
Use your student id and password to log in to SPC’s BookSwap site for details.
- Shop in advance
ISBN numbers for textbooks now are posted before classes start so that students can have the information they need to plan their textbook purchases.
Giving faculty the freedom to make a difference
Faculty can make a difference by considering the following options in place of or in addition to traditional textbooks:
- Develop and/or use free, open access content for their classes instead of assigning a textbook.
Talk to your campus Instructional Technologist or visit the Orange Grove website for details.
- Make use of free, Reusable Learning Objects (RLO) whenever possible.
Talk to your campus Instructional Technologist or visit the Web & Instructional Technologies website for details on RLO and other resources.
- Choose less expensive, common course textbooks
Faculty who teach certain general education courses can contact their department head for more information.
- Guarantee that the textbook students purchase will be used in the course.
Through the state-mandated textbook certification process, faculty are now required to certify the need for and the use of the textbook required for the course.
Ongoing efforts
SPC continues to research and work toward other ways to make textbooks more affordable at SPC including:
- Increasing the availability of textbooks on reserve in our libraries.
- Make use of less expensive e-book options for students to choose from.
- Increase communication about SWAP website, textbook rental program and availability of e-books.
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