Biden wants to curb textbook fees. Publishers warn it may backfire.

peter.suber's bookmarks 2024-04-13

Summary:

"President Joe Biden's crusade against so-called "junk fees" is on its way to college campuses, and some of the pushback is fierce.

Some university leaders say a planned change to an Obama-era regulation could raise prices on textbooks and other course materials for students nationwide. Publishers are in a panic, accusing the Biden administration of upending a pricing model they've spent years perfecting to offer affordable digital materials to millions of students on the first day of class.

Backed by consumer advocates, Education Department officials see it differently. They argue the model currently favored by colleges and textbook companies is akin to automatic billing and leaves out vulnerable students. The Biden administration says it's just trying to give college students more say in the ever-mounting fees listed on their bills...."

Link:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2024/04/12/biden-textbook-fees-colleges/73018722007/?cid=pm&source=ams&sourceid=

From feeds:

Open Access Tracking Project (OATP) ยป peter.suber's bookmarks

Tags:

oa.new oa.usa oa.prices oa.textbooks oa.usa.ed oa.economics_of oa.objections oa.debates oa.inclusive_access oa.business_models

Date tagged:

04/13/2024, 09:48

Date published:

04/13/2024, 05:48