Originally published in the Northfield News
by Senator Rich Draheim

It’s no secret, college is expensive. And as a state, Minnesota’s student debt load is unfortunately ninth highest in the country, with 68 percent of 2016-17 graduates carrying on average $31,734 in student debt. While the cost of tuition has traditionally been the focus of the college affordability debate, collegiate expenses have risen across the board. From the cost of housing to “student fees” that pay for stadiums, students often feel like they’re being nickeled-and-dimed. And, one such area where costs have risen astronomically is college text books.

Often a required purchase to even participate in a college course, text books can cost students hundreds of dollars apiece. In fact, a recent study by the College Board found that students spent on average around $1,200 on text books during the 2017-18 academic year. Over a four-year degree, that is roughly $5,000 in added costs per student.

This session, I have chief-authored three separate pieces of legislation that aim to lower the cost of text books and increase college affordability. One such bipartisan bill, SF 699, would require every Minnesota State college to offer a “Z-degree,” which is simply an associate’s degree that can be achieved with no textbook cost. While that might sound radical, this model already exists at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. Additionally, the bill encourages professors to review the use of open educational resources (OERs) for use in their classes instead of traditional text books. OERs are high-quality teaching, learning, and research resources that are either in the public domain or have been released specifically to be used by students, free of charge. While this might not be a “silver bullet”, it is a step in the right direction that encourages colleges to use technology and innovation to lower the cost of education for students.

Another piece of legislation I chief-authored, SF 130, requires Minnesota State colleges and universities to use affordable textbooks in at least 15 percent of their course offerings. The bill defines an affordable textbook as $40 or less. Additionally, the legislation requires schools to regularly report on their average text book costs and how often they offer affordable text books. While these provisions have been met with some pushback from Minnesota State, this at least begins the conversation about how to address the increasing costs of textbooks and hopefully, makes colleges more aware of what they are charging. Ultimately, the more transparency we have for students, the better.

Lastly, this week, the Senate Higher Education Committee will be hearing bipartisan legislation I chief-authored, SF 2214, to establish an inclusive access pilot program at Minnesota State schools to address textbook affordability. Inclusive access materials are assigned to an entire class of students, instead of students purchasing textbooks individually. Students receive discounts of up to 70 percent, and every student begins class with the same materials as their classmates. This bill represents a collaborative effort between lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, textbook companies, and college administrators. When everyone works together to address a problem, we can achieve a solution that benefits everyone. I am hopeful the legislature will pass legislation this session tackling the cost of textbooks, with the goal of making college more affordable for Minnesota Students statewide.

Sen. Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake) serves as Vice-chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee. He represents Senate District 20, which includes the communities of Belle Plaine, Cleveland, Dundas, Elko New Market, Heidelberg, Kilkenny, Le Center, Le Sueur, New Prague, Northfield, and Montgomery.