Bill Overview
Title: Affordable College Textbook Act
Description: This bill directs the Department of Education to make grants to institutions of higher education or states to support projects that expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students while maintaining or improving instruction and student learning outcomes. An open textbook is an educational resource that either resides in the public domain or has been released under an intellectual license that permits its free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others.
Sponsors: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals involved in higher education
Estimated Size: 21000000
- The bill will primarily affect students who are enrolled in higher education institutions.
- There are approximately 235 million higher education students worldwide as of recent estimates.
- The usage of open textbooks will also indirectly impact educators and academic institutions, as they will shift towards adopting these resources.
- The global population directly using or depending on higher educational resources can also be considered part of the target, including educators.
- The impact may vary across regions based on the adoption and implementation of open textbooks.
Reasoning
- The target population primarily consists of college and university students in the U.S., estimated at around 21 million, who stand to benefit from reduced textbook costs.
- The policy's budget constraints suggest a limited initial rollout, likely benefiting fewer than the entire target population in the first year.
- Impacts will vary based on factors like financial background, field of study (some fields are more textbook-intensive), and whether institutions adopt open textbooks.
- Not all students will see equal benefits, and educators might have mixed feelings based on their current course materials and publishing preferences.
- While students are directly impacted, educators may see changes in course development with access to more adaptable resources.
- There is a significant focus on financial relief for students who often face high textbook costs, and this cost-saving could improve their overall wellbeing.
Simulated Interviews
College student (Austin, TX)
Age: 20 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think affordable textbooks would help me a lot, especially since I spend a lot on books every semester.
- If the textbooks are of good quality, it would relieve a lot of stress about finances.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Graduate student (New York, NY)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've had to rely on older editions or borrowing textbooks due to high costs, so open-source texts sound promising.
- This could free up some funds for other resources I need like research materials.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
College professor (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a professor, I always look for ways to make course materials more accessible.
- I think open textbooks could encourage students to engage more with the content if they're readily available.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
College textbook publisher (Chicago, IL)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm worried about the impact on our publishing business as students might choose free resources over buying textbooks.
- However, it could push us to innovate and find new ways to offer value.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
College student (Portland, OR)
Age: 19 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Open textbooks could make a huge difference for me as my education budget is very tight.
- I hope my institution applies for these resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
College administrator (Boston, MA)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Implementing affordable textbooks is aligned with our goals for reducing student expenses.
- This policy supports our institution's mission to increase educational accessibility.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Part-time student and full-time tech support (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Affordable resources would help me juggle finances better as I'm balancing work and studies.
- I'd be able to allocate funds to other essential areas like internet connectivity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Board member of a community college (Salt Lake City, UT)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy might challenge traditional methods but offers a chance to modernize our learning resources.
- I see potential in reducing education costs for a significant part of our student population.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
High school teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I support initiatives that pave the way for my students to have a more affordable college experience.
- Open textbooks could enhance learning if properly integrated into curriculums.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Freelance graphic designer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Educational costs are daunting as I'm funding myself, so any reduction helps.
- I hope open textbooks will be of the same quality as current resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $150000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $200000000)
Year 2: $150000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $200000000)
Year 3: $150000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $200000000)
Year 5: $150000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $200000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Project uptake rates by institutions could vary greatly, affecting overall cost and savings.
- Technological barriers may require additional investment to ensure widespread access and usability.
- Student engagement and learning outcomes should be monitored to validate educational benefits.