Textbook cost burden and social work students

This article examines the financial, social, and academic impacts of the increasing cost of textbooks and other required course materials. In an availability sample of 168 students at Virginia schools of social work, students reported spending between $300-$500 per year, with higher spending for graduate students. To afford textbooks, 63% of students got a job, 52% took out loans, 28% did not visit family, and 25% skipped a meal. Over one-third of the sample engaged in copyright infringement and most students delayed purchasing the textbook until they were sure it was required to be successful in the course.