A new federal law mandates that professors turn in textbook and supplies information earlier could help students save money. It will also inform them of how much their books and supplies will cost when they enroll.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act doesn’t take effect until July 1, but the U. Kansas and the KU Bookstore have already implemented the new deadlines.
Estella McCollum, assistant director for KU Bookstores, said the act was meant to give students a better idea of all the additional costs that come with a class at the time of enrollment. That way, students have time to shop around for the best prices.
“It’s really attacking the affordibility of education as a whole,” McCollum said, “because it’s not just textbooks, its required materials and supplies — they want anything associated with that class sooner.”
While this could be helpful for some students, it may not affect students who don’t have book requirements.
Jamie Padzensky, a senior from Andover, is in the graphics program and said the new requirement wouldn’t necessarily help her in knowing the cost of her supplies.
“It would be helpful, but most of the time projects are student to student, and it depends on what you want to do,” Padzensky said. “I don’t know what kind of paper I’m going to use for a project until I get to the project.”
She said it would be helpful for professors to communicate with the bookstore throughout the semester to make sure it had enough of certain supplies when a project came up.
McCollum said that KU Bookstores was the collecting point for the textbook paperwork, which they refer to as adoptions, and that students would still be able to shop anywhere for their books.
Rachel Barnes, assistant course materials buyer, said she had definitely seen an increase in the number of textbook adoptions that have been turned in. At this time last spring, KU Bookstores had only received about 30 percent of summer adoptions and 7 percent of fall adoptions. This year, the bookstore has received about 65 percent of summer adoptions and 22 percent for fall.
Caitlin Davies, assistant course materials buyer for KU Bookstores, said getting adoptions in on time helped students save money.
“The earlier I get an adoption, the earlier I know what textbooks to get for a class, the more used copies I’m able to locate,” Davies said. “It really passes on a huge savings to the student.”
She also said that when the bookstore knows a professor is using a book the following semester, students receive more money when they sell their books back.
The law, which passed in August 2008, mandates universities turn in class information in a more timely manner, but it doesn’t require any punishment for professors that don’t turn in their adoptions.
McCollum said the law states that adoptions need to be turned in as soon as realistically possible.
One reason a department may not turn in adoptions on time is if it doesn’t yet have its GTAs assigned to a section or if GTAs haven’t accepted their positions in time for the deadline. She said it won’t ever be realistic to expect 100 percent compliance.
“The whole point is to give a more accurate estimate as to what the cost of the class is going to be so they’re prepared,” McCollum said. “It also gives them time to look at their options and decide what other options they have for those same materials.”