Rising Costs Force Students To Skimp On Textbooks

(Huffington Post)- As the cost of textbooks continues to rise, many college students are choosing to skimp on textbooks to save money.

Seven out of 10 undergraduates surveyed at 13 college campuses said they had not purchased one or more textbooks because the cost was too high, according to a new survey released Thursday by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The Government Accountability Office has estimated that textbooks cost a quarter the average tuition for state universities and three-fourths the average tuition at community colleges.

The U.S. PIRG analysis also found the price of textbooks has risen 22 percent over the past four years-- a much faster rate than overall inflation. The rising prices come as student debt has soared record levels -- exceeding total credit card debt in 2010. Read more here…