Senators Call for Ban of Automatic Textbook Charges

• Institutions can automatically charge students for textbooks and other course materials.
• A group of senators are now calling on the White House to ban this practice unless a student opts in.
• President Joe Biden says new regulations are forthcoming.

Colleges and universities have the power to automatically deduct the cost of textbooks from a student's financial aid, but a group of senators hopes to change that.

Eleven senators, all of whom are liberal-leaning, penned a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on April 19. They voiced support for the Department of Education's (ED) proposed regulatory changes that would require institutions to receive authorization from a student before they can deduct the cost of books and supplies from their financial aid awards.

Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat representing Illinois, led the effort.

Healthy competition in the textbook industry is important to drive down prices and expand innovations like open textbooks, the letter reads. The department's proposed changes would be a meaningful step to promote more balance in the traditional textbook market, which has been dominated by increasing prices at the expense of students.

The following senators joined Durbin in this letter:

• Angus King: Independent, Maine
• Krysten Sinema: Independent, Arizona
• Tina Smith: Democrat, Minnesota
• Richard Blumenthal: Democrat, Connecticut
• Chris Van Hollen: Democrat, Maryland
• Jack Reed: Democrat, Rhode Island
• Ron Wyden: Democrat, Oregon
• Peter Welch: Democrat, Vermont
• Cory Booker: Democrat, New Jersey
• Edward Markey: Democrat, Massachusetts

In March, President Joe Biden unveiled his plan to eliminate “junk fees” in higher education. It was there that he said ED was in the process of drafting new regulations to limit the fees colleges and universities could automatically charge for textbooks.

Many students are unaware that they are being automatically charged for books and supplies, according to the White House.

Advocates for this change say it would give students the freedom to shop around for cheaper alternatives. That may include used books or open-access textbooks found online.

The cost of college, including the cost of textbooks and course materials, can put a postsecondary education out of reach for many students, Sen. Durbin's letter read. Students need more choices — not fewer — in the textbook marketplace so they can make the best decision for their own needs.

The senators say universities should instead institute an opt-in option for students who want to be charged automatically for course materials.

According to a BestColleges analysis, the average cost of books and supplies for a first-year college student was $1,215 for the 2021-22 academic year.

Durbin has tried in the past to make college textbooks more affordable to students. During his time in Congress, he has led the charge to pass the Affordable Textbook Act six times, most recently reintroducing the bill in March 2023. If passed, the bill would push for more investment in open-access textbooks.