Last week the Arizona State Senate passed House Bill 2230, a bill initiated by the Arizona Students Association requiring publishers to thoroughly disclose textbook information, including price, whether the materials are available "unbundled", the copyright dates of each edition, and what information has been changed from one edition to the next. By requiring publishers to disclose the true costs, professors will be better equipped to choose course materials with students’ budgets in mind. Students fought hard to get the bill passed in the House after a slew of amendments, and the success is a major victory for the Arizona Student Association, who come out of the campaign with more power and access in the statehouse. Ten other states, including Oregon, Connecticut and West Virginia, have similar legislation that relates to lowering textbook costs for students.

More from Arizona State University

More from the University of Arizona