Durbin, King, Smith, Wyden Introduce Legislation To Help Make College Textbooks More Affordable

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) today introduced legislation designed to help students manage costs by making high quality textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public for free. The legislation, known as theAffordable College Textbook Act, would authorize a competitive grant program to support the creation and expansion of open college textbooks—textbooks that are available under an open license, allowing professors, students, researchers, and others to freely access the materials. U.S. Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) will introduce companion legislation in the House.
Textbook costs are one of the most overlooked costs of going to college, but they can be a substantial barrier to pursuing a college education.  According to the College Board, the average student at a four-year public institution of higher education spent $1,290 on college books and supplies during the 2024-2025 academic year.  In a 2020 U.S. PIRG survey, 65 percent of students decided not to buy a textbook because of the cost, and 94 percent of those students were worried it would affect their grade negatively.
“It’s no secret that college is expensive.  On top of the rising cost of tuition, students are expected to shell out additional dollars to purchase expensive, required textbooks for their coursework,”said Durbin.“Open textbooks are a tried and true way to save students money while ensuring they have access to quality instructional materials.  I’m introducing theAffordable College Textbook Actagain to support students pursuing higher education.”
“A college education is far more expensive than the simple cost of tuition, room, and board — and the textbook market causes serious sticker shock on campuses across the nation, ”said King.“Students are faced with numerous additional fees from the time they move in until the time they graduate.  TheAffordable College Textbook Actis a commonsense step toward saving students — and teachers — from the hidden, overlooked fees associated with a college education.  Thanks to my colleagues for prioritizing the success of the next generation of students.”
“Buying textbooks for college classes is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for students to succeed in class.  But far too often, their price tag puts a significant burden on our students’ budgets,”said Smith.“Free, open textbooks have already greatly lowered costs for Minnesota students, and I want more students to have access to that resource.  This legislation is an essential part of decreasing the cost of higher education in this country.”
“With the cost of college attendance skyrocketing, students shouldn’t also have to spend hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of dollars extra to access textbooks that they will use for a few classes,”Wyden said.“Open textbooks will ensure that students get all the essential academic tools they need at their fingertips for free.  I thank Senator Durbin for his effort to lift a financial burden off students' shoulders so they can go after their goals in and outside of the classroom.”
TheAffordable College Textbook Actexpands and updates provisions from Durbin’sCollege Textbook Affordability Actcontained in the 2008Higher Education Opportunity Act.The provisions aimed to make more information available to students looking to manage college textbook costs. The 2008 law required textbook publishers to disclose to faculty the cost of a textbook to their students, required schools to publish textbook price information in course catalogues when practicable, and required publishers to offer unbundled supplemental materials so that students had choices.  The provisions took effect on July 1, 2010.
Durbin secured$7 millionin funding for the Open Textbook Pilot Program, based on theAffordable College Textbook Act, in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Omnibus appropriations bill.  The FY24 funding brings the total federal investment in the Open Textbook Pilot to $54 million. It is estimated that projects supported by the Pilot to date will result in more than $250 million in eventual savings for students.

Specifically, theAffordable College Textbook Actwould:
TheAffordable College Textbook Actis supported by SPARC, National Association of College Stores, Student PIRGs, U.S. PIRG, American Federation of Teachers, American Association of Community Colleges, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, Association of Community College Trustees, Association of College & Research Libraries, Association of Research Libraries, Autism Society of America, CAST, Creative Commons, National Education Association, Open Oregon Educational Resources, the Council of Administrators of Special Education, the Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, Today’s Students Coalition, UNCF, and Young Invincibles .
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