Publishers continue to increase the cost of textbooks across the country, creating ways to make students pay more for less, according to a recent report from a Florida research group.

A news release from the Florida Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit state advocacy organization, reported Feb. 9 that textbooks already cost students approximately $900 a year, roughly one-fifth of the tuition at four-year universities.

Online figures from the admissions department at the University of North Florida show that its undergraduate students average $1,540.44 per semester on tuition and books, with roughly 19 percent or $300 of costs spent on textbooks.

The estimated cost could be the result of publishers frequently updating textbook editions, making older editions obsolete after as little as one year. The research group suggested that such revisions are unnecessary half the time because they offer a small amount of new information.

But professors sometimes don’t have a choice in updating their required texts.

“It’s standard to switch to the new edition of a book when it comes out,” said Dr. John Parmelee, a UNF communications professor. “One does not have a choice, because the publisher is offering only the new edition.”

Publishers also increase textbook costs by creating bundles that include computer discs, workbooks and supplemental texts. Often the less expensive, unbundled textbooks cannot found on bookstore shelves.

But, as is the case for the text required for the Basic Astronomy class offered at UNF, sometimes the textbook packages cost the same as unbundled texts, giving students more without increasing the price.

“Since the books that came with the bundle seemed like they would be interesting to students, I thought it was better to get the bundle with the free books than the unbundled text for the same price,” said Dr. John Anderson, who teaches at UNF.

Much of the time, though, the price of the same textbook bundled and unbundled is not equivalent. The Florida public interest group reported that bundled textbooks can be up to 10 percent more expensive than the same textbook unbundled.

And it isn’t just frequent new editions and bundles that are causing controversy. There also is an issue with students trying to sell back textbooks. According to eFollett, which provides textbooks for the UNF Bookstore, the eligibility of books to be sold back and the worth of texts that are accepted as buybacks are based on the condition of the text, the number in stock, differences in editions and course material. If a text is bought back at all, usually it will be worth up to 50 percent of its cost in cash. Bundled textbooks can be eligible for buybacks only if all items are returned.

UNF’s eFollett representative was unavailable for comment on the increase, but one student had a few words to say.

“I think it is sad that students have to fork out up to $400 a semester for books when they only get maybe $100 back,” said junior Melissa Cox, an education major. “It feels degrading to me to actually take $20 back for a $80 book.”

Contact Jenn Napier at uspinnak@unf.edu.