Congress Joins States and Colleges in Efforts to Reduce Soaring Textbook Costs

Student Loan Girl — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:09:00 GMT

With the average college student now shelling out between $900 and $1,000 each year for textbooks and supplies, according to the College Board’s latest Trends in College Pricing report, schools, states, and now Congress are getting involved in the crusade to control the spiraling costs of college textbooks.

Propelled by studies that show the prices of textbooks are rising faster than the rate of inflation, the House of Representatives included provisions in the recently approved College Opportunity and Affordability Act that are specifically targeted at making textbook costs more manageable, reports Elia Powers of Inside Higher Ed (“Different Tacks on Textbook Choice,” Feb. 19, 2008).

The House bill (H.R. 4137), which passed the House on February 7 and renews the Higher Education Act, would have colleges provide advance information in their course schedules about required books to give students time to plan for expenses and comparison-shop for the most cost-effective options.

Also approved by the House was an amendment (H.AMDT.951) proposed by Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio that would create a pilot competitive grant program to assist a select number of colleges in setting up textbook rental programs.

States Enacting Their Own Textbook Legislation

H.R. 4137 would also require textbook publishers to provide more information about pricing and changes from previous editions, which follows bills already passed by some state legislatures, writes Powers.

Last April, for example, Washington state House Bill 2300 was signed into law, requiring textbook publishers to disclose retail prices and a history of revisions from edition to edition when presenting any materials to faculty.

In June, Oregon passed its similar Senate Bill 365 into law. In addition to charging publishers with providing retail prices and a list of all previous versions of a text to potential adopters, the Oregon measure requires publishers of textbook “bundles” (textbooks packaged with an accompanying CD-ROM or study guide, for instance) to make each component of the bundle available to students separately and to disclose the retail price of each piece.

In California, Assembly Bill 1548, known as the College Textbook Transparency Act, likewise calls for publishers to provide a list of revisions made to new editions, as well as for college bookstores to release the wholesale prices of textbooks. The California bill was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in October and goes into effect in 2010.

Changes at the College Level

In response to the increasingly vocal concerns of students, families, and legislators, not all schools are waiting on Congress or state officials to adopt changes to textbook pricing and marketing practices. Some schools, writes Powers, have already instituted book rental, buyback, or other programs in a move to extend textbook affordability.

At Rio Salado College in Arizona, for example, a partnership with Pearson Custom Publishing allows professors to “build” custom textbooks, drawing material from multiple sources. Administrators believe this program could save students up to 50 percent on reading materials.

The University of Virginia, in addition to expanding its textbook rental and guaranteed buyback programs, is increasing its selection of e-books, which can save students as much as 30 percent over print versions of new editions. And a growing number of U.Va. professors are choosing to purchase older editions of books in cases where the new material isn’t a necessity, a move the university says cuts an average of 75 percent off new book prices.

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7 Offbeat, Memorable and Affordable Valentine Gift Ideas

Student Loan Girl — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:14:00 GMT

Let’s face it: A box of chocolates, a fistful of flowers, and a dinner out aren’t going to get you into the Valentine’s Day Hall of Fame & Everlasting Memories.

If you and your love cookie are tired of the whole Russell-Stover-and-roses routine and your Valentine’s Days have all started to blur together, chuck the clichés this year with one of these seven off-the-grid gifts, and make it a Valentine’s Day you’ll both always be able to remember.

1) The Cute, Sexy and Hotness Chronic Ailment Package

Billing itself as the “ONLY research facility that effectively diagnoses the chronic ailments of Cute, Sexy, and Hotness^©,” the C&S Research Institute — that’s Cute & Sexy, in case you missed it — features over 30 different gift packs designed to “treat” the cute, sexy, or hot afflicted babe in your life.

Each gift pack includes:

A personalized letter diagnosing the recipient with multiple ailments that CSRI specializes in treating
“Medication” like M&Ms and Hershey’s Kisses
Optional add-ons such as chocolate roses, an aromatherapy kit, or a variety of gift cards, from Victoria’s Secret to Lowe’s to Starbucks

The best-selling standard gift pack will only run you $8.99, plus shipping and handling.

You can check out a video rundown of the CSRI gift packs on YouTube.

2) Message in a Bottle

Named the “Most Romantic Gift” on Oprah, this one should win over even the most cynical pink-picketing anti-romanticists.

Choose the classic “Chestnut” bottle for $29.95, or go all-out with the “Key to my Heart” bottle for $86.95 (special Valentine’s Day pricing, regular price $129.95).

You can select a prewritten message, or pour your heart out and write the scrolled note yourself.

For inspiration, check out these true stories of bottle senders and receivers.

Valentine’s Day shipping is available, and you can have your Message in a Bottle delivered right to your valentine’s door.

3) Godiva Chocolate Decadence Suite

Heroes star Ali Larter calls Godiva chocolate pearls the “perfect bit of sin.”

And now sin has gone loft-sized with Godiva’s Chocolate Decadence Suite, currently on display in Manhattan’s East Village.

The suite, made almost entirely of chocolate, is the centerpiece of this year’s annual Godiva Valentine’s Day promotion.

Specially marked Godiva Valentine’s Day gift boxes valued at $23 or more offer a chance to win a pampered weekend getaway for two in this Godiva room, which will be re-created in a suite in Manhattan’s Bryant Park Hotel.

Every wall in the room is made of chocolate, and the living room includes a chocolate-decorated day bed, chocolate fireplace, chocolate “Pucci” armchairs, and chocolate bookcases holding several chocolate books that open up to caches of chocolates instead of fiction.

A chocolate-and-amber-crystal chandelier illuminates the dining room with its dark-chocolate candelabras and chocolate mosaic table and chairs. Even the high art on the walls is chocolate: Multicolored chocolate pieces make up an edible version of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss,” and a brown-and-white abstract above the dining table offers a chocolate interpretation of Jackson Pollock.

Besides a stay in the Godiva suite, the Grand Prize Chocolate Fantasy Weekend includes airfare to New York, two days of spa treatment, a private chocolate tasting with a Godiva chef, and a private, chef-catered dinner for two.

If you win, though, you’ll have to wait until May to enjoy your prize.

4) Personalized Valentine’s Day Magazine Cover

If you have a high cheese threshold and you’re big on seeing you and your sweetie in full-color print, YourCover can help you plaster your love all over a ready-to-frame glossy magazine cover.

Here’s your chance to show off your creativity and how great you are at expressing yourself: Customize your cover, front and back, with meaningful photos, quotes, and your own affectionate, funny, or Cosmo-worthy headlines.

The $49.95 price tag includes printing, a deluxe frame, and shipping and handling.

5) Heart-Shaped USB Flash Drive Necklace

Less than $15 gets you this heart-shaped 1GB USB flash drive necklace, where your valentine can hold your digital photos, music, and video memories close to his or her heart.

Perfect for that special, low-maintenance geeky someone in your life.

6) Sonic Boom Love Clock

You’re ready for love. Whether it’s a dinner date, a night out on the town, or just coffee and breakfast, you’re there.

And waiting … on your frequent companion who can’t seem to be on time, ever.

For $40 (plus shipping and handling), treat your perpetually unpunctual pookie to this take-no-prisoners timepiece from ThinkGeek.

Deceptively unassuming in its heart-shaped cotton-candy–pink casing, the Sonic Boom alarm clock packs an industrial-strength wallop. At 113 decibels, the alarm is actually louder than a jackhammer (100 decibels).

If that’s not enough to get your sweetheart out of bed and out the door to meet you, slip the shaker attachment under the mattress. Unless your significant other makes a habit of sleeping through earthquakes, the bed-shaker should be able to do what the prospect of a date with you hasn’t — get your BF or GF moving.

7) Man/Woman Remote Relationship Control

Have a hard time speaking your mind? These talking remotes could do wonders for the state of communication in your relationship.

Just push a button, and you can launch any one of a number of instant retorts, iron-handed commands, or inappropriate sound effects.

“What about my needs?”
“What were you thinking?”
“Zip it!”
“Feed me!”
“I’m outta here!”

For $17.95, you’ll get hours of entertainment and push-button verbal combat.

Make sure to specify whether you want the “Control Your Woman” or “Control Your Man” unit, or get both for $29.95, plus shipping and handling.

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Student Loan Blog : customized

Congress Joins States and Colleges in Efforts to Reduce Soaring Textbook Costs

7 Offbeat, Memorable and Affordable Valentine Gift Ideas