Free college textbooks would lighten the load for students

Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.

As a high school student in Union City, I have been fortunate enough to be able to take college classes. One of my first surprises was that a college textbook that was required for a course was more expensive than the registration fee for the course.

Having to purchase textbooks was new to me. Middle and high schools provided us with textbooks free of charge. Once our year ended we would return them, and then the same copies would be used for next year’s students. However, with college classes, I would buy the textbook, use it for 8 to 12 weeks, and then use it as a large paper weight. Seeing that textbook go to waste felt very disheartening.

There’s a better way. Many colleges and classes today are testing ZTC, or zero textbook cost. Zero textbook costs does not mean no textbook. Instead, it means professors can tap into a college’s online library and make those digital textbooks available to their registered students free of charge. ZTC can also offer professor-created lectures as well.

ZTC can benefit students as it offers them a little bit of financial breathing room. If ZTC were completely implemented, students would no longer need to buy expensive textbooks or carry around a ton of books.

There have been many courses that I was interested in but did not end up registering for because the textbooks were too expensive. Now, when I see a course with the ZTC symbol next to it, I am more likely to take that course.

If colleges did not have ZTC classes, I would not be able to explore as many college courses that interest me. Or I would have to get a job that would take away from my studying time in order to pay for textbooks.

Free textbooks would be a step toward making education more accessible for all.