GREENSBORO, N.C. – College students are finding it harder to afford textbooks amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study.

What You Need To Know

  • Students are skipping buying textbooks, citing the pandemic and financial costs as their reason.

  • The U.S. Public Interest Research Group conducted a study.

  • The study also found that textbook costs have been a rising concern since the 70s..

According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s Education Fund, a study found that 65% of college students nationwide skipped textbook purchases despite concerns of their grades.

Brandon Day is a sophomore at North Carolina A&T State University. He says he is currently working two jobs to pay for his tuition, and expensive textbooks make it even more difficult on him.

“I do have to set around a thousand dollars every semester to even pay for books, purchase access codes to even to the assignments, because if we don’t purchase the access codes or the text books we won’t be able to do the assignments," Day explains.

The study also finds that textbook purchases have been a concern for decades, with costs increasing three times the inflation rate since the 1970s.

There are options on A&T’s campus for students struggling to afford textbooks like scholarships, rental, and virtual. Used books and buy back programs are also available.