Illinois senator pushed to end college textbook costs

"An Illinois senator last week announced proposed legislation for free college textbooks. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin hosted a phone press conference Oct. 7 with 20 college journalists to announce the Affordable College Textbook Act. By introducing this bill, Durbin’s goal is to establish a grant program for the creation and use of free high-quality textbooks. “Freer access to these open textbooks will save students hundreds of dollars and put pressure on traditional college textbook markets to open up and be affordable,” Durbin said. The University of Illinois used a $150,000 federal grant to try an open textbook project, he said. The school created a textbook titled “Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation,” and the textbook was published electronically for free and open use, he said."

To read the entire article on the bill proposed in Illinois to create Open textbooks to lesson the cost of college education for students, read the full article.