Where the Textbook Dollar Really Goes

OBERLIN, Ohio, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Over the past few weeks, The National Association of College Stores (NACS) has described some of the choices college stores are offering students to help keep their cost of textbooks and course materials as affordable as possible. But what goes into making up the price of a textbook and what happens to the funds students pay?

Price has become an increasingly important determinant of where students shop for course materials. According to a recent survey by OnCampus Research, a division of (NACS), the majority of college students surveyed said that the price of products was somewhat or very important when choosing a store.

While the Government Accounting Office found that textbook prices have increased at an average of six percent per year, the average gross margin on new textbooks is currently 22.3%, a figure that has remained relatively constant since 1989, according to NACS' 2010 College Store Industry Financial Report.

According to OnCampus Research, the college store makes only 6.3 cents on every dollar spent on a new textbook. The remaining money goes toward the publisher, the author, and freight expense.

"I hope this helps dispel the common misperception that college stores are making a huge amount of money off students through textbook sales," says Charles Schmidt, director of public relations for NACS. "The facts just don't support it."

In addition, Schmidt notes that students who purchase or rent their textbooks at their campus store can be sure that the majority of what profit there is goes back to the educational institution. "A 2010 survey of our members discovered that college stores contribute an average of $223,691 annually to their college campuses," Schmidt says. "Much of it is used to fund student scholarships, support student activities, and pay the salaries of the people working in the store – quite often fellow students."

Next…online fraud.

About NACS

Headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio, the National Association of College Stores (NACS) is the professional trade association of the college store industry. NACS represents more than 3,000 collegiate retailers and approximately 1,100 associate members who supply books and other products to college stores. NACS member stores serve America's college students while supporting the academic missions of higher education institutions everywhere. Additional information on NACS can be found online at www.nacs.org.

SOURCE National Association of College Stores

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