Photo Courtesy of Cottonbro Studio / Pexels
By Maya Guerrero-Ibarra
That thundering sound thousands of students are hearing in their imaginations is the cost of books falling like the Berlin Wall.
That other sound is students exhaling in relief.
Sky high textbook costs that were ruinously expensive for generations of college students have, in some cases, come down. In many cases all the way down.
Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) is a California program that allows legions of students to take courses without buying expensive texts. Southwestern College recently got on board.
Southwestern librarian Margaret Drehobl said the savings have been substantial. According to the California Student Aid Commission, she said, a typical two-year college student spends nearly $1,000 per academic year on books – and most students are part time.
“Since the fall semester of 2023 we’ve saved Southwestern College students $3,768,000 with the ZTC courses,” said Drehobl. “(Savings) will increase as more students discover the program.”
ZTC could float a lot of boats, she said, by encouraging more students to enroll at Southwestern and enabling existing students to take more classes.
Cassandra Evans, an assistant professor of philosophy, said her enrollment grew after she started to offer ZTC. She is one of the growing number of professors offering ZTC, which currently covers more than 400 courses.
“(Californians) have the right to education, (but) the high cost of textbooks can (be) oppressive,” she said. “Women and people of color have had access to education for a very short time. (They are often) limited (by high textbook costs).”
Evans said prior to ZTC that as many as half of her philosophy students could not afford the $200 class textbook. Science texts are even more expensive, she said, often topping $300.
Many students report taking second jobs to purchase textbooks. Others took fewer classes or tried to go without the book. Data from the California Chancellor’s Office concluded that the inability to access textbooks was a predictor of low or failing grades and dropping out.
Freshman Janica Reese Olesco said ZTC books are easier to access than electronic books purchased from the campus bookstore or online.
“When I purchased (an electronic book from the Southwestern bookstore) I wasn’t able to access it immediately,” she said. “It took about two days to process and (arrive) on campus, which is inconvenient. With ZTC all I have to do is click the link the professor provides and the textbook pops up immediately.”
Freshman Julie Rubio said the no-cost textbook program is “really helpful.”
“I know there are certain programs that help with buying textbooks, but some people may not qualify due to their family’s income, which is unfair to those who want to better their education,” she said. “I believe that Zero Textbook Costs is an amazing opportunity, especially for those struggling financially.”
Drehobl said there are other ways students can save money, such as purchasing an e-book, renting and using the textbook in the library.
“(Some) professors will (purchase) a copy of the textbook and…put it on reserve (in the library),” she said. “When a textbook is on reserve at the circulation desk, students can use it in the library for limited hours, because other students (may) need to access that book.”
Drehobl suggested that students consider using an e-book version if one is available because they are usually less expensive. Sometimes renting is also cost effective, she said.
