Onondaga Community College in Syracuse is starting up a groundbreaking program that attacks the issue of the high cost of textbooks.
Students at OCC spend an average of $615 on textbooks every semester. Senior Allison Guzman-Martinez said she has struggled with the costs, and she hears it from fellow students.
"They can’t go to the library because they have a full time job. And I hear these conversations, and they're not abnormal to hear, they’re normal to hear, here at school, because the prices are insane," said Guzman-Martinez.
There is hope on the way in the form of a program called "Box of Books." OCC will charge students $322.50 for all the textbooks they need in a semester, as well as any digital fees required in a course. Students will also be offered a Chromebook for $250.
OCC President Casey Crabill said this gives students who can’t afford it, the tools they need to succeed.
"So students will be able to have these materials on the first day, out of the gate, ready to start, and we think that goes a long way to level the playing field," said Crabill.
Like the name suggests, John Cusick, manager of Barnes and Noble at OCC said the books will come in a large box available to students before classes start. He admits Barnes and Noble will be discounting books that can cost hundreds of dollars apiece.
"Because of the volume we are going to buy and the volume we are selling. More students are buying so the sell through is so much higher, and that’s how we are drastically lowering the price," said Cusick.
OCC is the first public college in the country that has partnered with Barnes and Noble on this program.
