The local and national fight for affordable textbooks - Claudia Yaw ,The Daily

The price of textbooks, which can reach hundreds of dollars, often deter students from obtaining the course materials altogether. In previous Student PIRGs’ studies, two-thirds of students reported not buying a required textbook because of its price, illustrating how textbook costs directly impact access to education. In the state legislature, HB 1470 attempted to address this issue directly, noting how “the cost of textbooks and course materials often acts as a barrier for students and becomes a substantial part of student debt.” The bill, which died in committee this legislative session, would have created a tax credit for professors who use free, open source materials as the main required text for their course. http://www.dailyuw.com/news/article_330ff540-777f-11e9-aa0a-fb1280b9bf77.html