Show I The h t textbook monopoly empire I Jonathan Long Opinion Editor Students are facing an impending rise in the cost of tuition Typically it has s been rising at an average I of seven percent every year depending on the school attended for the past 10 years If this was the only student cost it might be bearable But between the cost of tuition housing lab fees admission fees and of course the always overpriced required textbooks college is isa isa isa a debt inducing and required experience of expense One of the defining problems in the market of overpriced text books is the lack of a competitive market It seems almost ironic in this country which supposedly prides itself I on an unparalleled capitalistic market place that only a few multi- multi mega publishing houses supply all the colleges and universities across the country with text books overpowering the m market with mass production What is even stranger is that these establishments of higher education seem to do little to relieve the intimidating prices of text textbooks textbooks textbooks books that both current students and future students will face It is surprising to see so little concern or relief in inan inan inan an era where enrollment rates are dropping continually In a country supposedly obsessed with the pretense of quality education little seems to be done to help those in financial need except to offer them a life time of debt in exchange for a slight promise at a better life than waiting tables or managing convenient stores until retirement With little choice students are faced every year with enormous costs for books that are almost impossible to find without strenuous headaches involved in any bookstore off- off campus Unfortunately there are no real competitive companies dominated by the few conglomerate media industries that dominate the publishing industry students have no real choice when it comes to finding the most bang for the buck It seems almost an ironic situation that these mega companies create by keeping prices i unaffordable and an I actively uncompetitive market In a country where education has always been seen as a way to improve a person and lifestyle it is uncompromising in class inequality A system designed at keeping the poor in poverty and the rich well above the margin of comfort the unreal cost of textbooks just one aspect rings as an ironic truth that education is not f for r everyone |