By Emily Losito
Contributing Writer
Harley Winkleman sat with her laptop in her room and looked at the list of required textbooks for the semester. Her accounting professor listed a $200 book.
Winkleman, a junior, scribbled her past textbook prices down, and the amount – $3,000 – stared back at her.
A Huffington Post article, by senior editor and reporter Tyler Kingkade, said college textbook prices are 812 percent higher than they were 30 years ago. The National Association of College Stores said college students on average pay $1,168 for textbooks each year.
Twenty students interviewed at St. Bonaventure University said they spent hundreds of dollars on books every semester. Textbook prices varied depending on students’ majors.
Alexander Mazanek, who double majors in physics and chemistry, said his required books cost hundreds of dollars a semester.
“If I bought all my books from the bookstore since freshman year, I would be into the $10,000 range,” said Mazanek, a junior.
Some students, like Division I swimmer Tanja Kirmse, haven’t had to pay for textbooks. Heather McDivitt, assistant athletic director for academic support and student services, ordered Kirmse’s and other athletes whose scholarships covered books.
Kirmse, an accounting and finance major, said she needed six books this semester.
“One finance professor required a $400 book. He ended up giving us the material,” she said. Some professors expect students to buy these books, said Kirmse, a senior.
Darwin King, an accounting professor, said he chose the books based on the material in them. He said he had students buy one textbook they could use for two classes. King said he never really knew the prices of the books.
“Students learn in these classes from examples. The book that I chose had 40 different tax scenarios,” King said.
Some professors, like Charles Walker, sought out less expensive books. Walker, a psychology professor, said he wanted his students to use an older edition.
“I had them use the 10th edition of a textbook instead of the 12th edition,” he said.
Walker said the book hasn’t had many changes, and it’s such an informative textbook, so he doesn’t need students buying the newer edition.
He said the 12th edition had more technology access, but cost over $300, and he said that technology doesn’t matter to his class.
Walker said he gave links to publishers’ websites to students instead.
An article on Pricenomics said the University of Virginia had physics pegged as having the most expensive textbook on average at $158. Chemistry came in fourth at about $136 on average.
Matthew Schutt, a chemistry major, said he bought books from the bookstore from his freshman to junior year.
“I’ve only really bought the books I’ve needed for my major. Even then, I’ve spent about $4,500 on books over these four years,” he said.
The University Bookstore launched a price match option because of the high textbook prices, said Annette Donavon.
This gave students the opportunity to bring in proof of cheaper textbooks online and benefit from buying the books in the bookstore, said Donavon, the manager.
Donavon said bookstore gift cards would be given to students who brought proof of cheaper books online but purchased the books at the store.
Schutt, a senior, said that price match sounded like a good idea. He said he wished he could use it to buy books now.
“I don’t think the bookstore would accept the differences for books like mine,” Mazanek said. He said that he saved about $300 on a physics book last semester using a website called Bookbyte.
The bookstore required students to bring in proof from Amazon, Chegg or a local competitor to get a gift card, Donavon said.
Winkleman, the accounting major, said she rented from the bookstore as much as she could her first two years. She purchased her most recent textbooks so she could keep them as references.
She ordered her accounting book from Amazon and closed her laptop. Her eyes drawn towards the $3,000 she wrote in her notebook as she sighed.
“Textbooks have gotten so expensive,” she said, “and frankly, it’s ridiculous.”
lositoek14@bonaventure.edu
