HARTFORD, Conn. - A state study ordered by the legislature has found that Connecticut college students are trying to cope with textbook sticker shock.
Most of more than 500 Connecticut students surveyed described textbooks as sometimes or always expensive, and more than three out of four said they had spent between $300 and $700 a semester on textbooks.
"Students were dismayed at the exorbitant cost of textbooks," Jonas Zdanys, chief academic officer for the state Department of Higher Education said.
Zdanys is also chairman of the Connecticut Task Force on the Cost of College Textbooks, which did the survey.
The task force report was to be reviewed Wednesday by the Board of Governors for Higher Education. The report includes recommendations to reduce an expense that many students describe as a growing burden.
The task force says that students sometimes pay for extra materials, such as workbooks or CD-ROMs, that come packaged with the texts even though the materials often are not required or used. The report recommends that publishers and bookstores stop selling materials in bundled packages.
The report also suggests that faculty members keep academic quality in mind when selecting any textbook but also should "consider if the price of the textbook justifies its usage."
The survey found that 61 percent of professors were aware of prices before selecting texts, and that 46 percent took cost into account when selecting books.
The report also suggested that faculty members use the same texts over several years, if possible. The report says students sometimes have difficulty reselling their texts at the end of a semester because professors require newer editions for the next class.
The task force also suggest that college libraries keep copies of all required textbooks on hand for students who cannot afford to buy texts.
The legislature called for a review of textbook prices last spring after legislators heard complaints from students and their families.
