The Higher Education Opportunity Act on Textbook Price and Transparency
 On Aug. 14, 2008, President George W. Bush signed the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), legislation that reauthorizes the Higher Education Act of 1965.
A key provision in the new law (PL 110-315) requires publishers to disclose textbook prices up front to faculty members, along with the copyright dates of the three previous editions. Institutions are required to provide price and purchasing information about required textbooks when students register for a course. The provision also requires publishers to offer textbooks and supplemental materials separately (with some exceptions).
The provision is designed to bring transparency and provide students with some of the consumer information they need to help lower the cost of textbook purchases. While the textbook provision in HEOA does not take effect until July 1, 2010, members of Congress have said they hope colleges and universities will begin to implement these provisions and act prior to the deadline to speed the process and end what they feel are abuses in the process.
Discuss textbook policies on your campus
Colleges and universities have already instituted a wide range of innovative and effective plans to address textbook costs. We want to hear what is going on at your campus. Please visit our textbook forum to tell us your story and exchange ideas with colleagues across the country.
HEOA Compliance: What institutions are doing
The University of North Carolina System has put together a detailed chart that sets out timetables and assigns responsibility for implementing the HEOA requirements.
The University of New Mexico has convened and held an initial committee meeting consisting of the dean, registrar, bookstore manager and others to discuss implementation and build the law’s requirements into a new bookstore web site that is underway.
In anticipation of the new federal law, the University of Maryland, College Park began posting received and verified International Standard Book Number (ISBN) data for the current fall semester.
Several hundred institutions (including public and private, two- and four-year institutions) are currently providing linked textbook information, including retail price and often ISBN, via a course schedule registration system similar to Illinois State University.
The College of Du Page (IL), the third-largest single-campus community college in the nation, provides book information to students via the course schedule registration system.
The City College of San Francisco provides extensive book information for each class in the course schedule, including title, author, edition, ISBN, “look inside book” features, as well as new , used, and e-book prices.
Other examples of institutions providing book information via linked class registration include:
All public colleges and universities in Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee post ISBN and price information online after it has been received, verified and designated for order by the campus bookstore, which is normally several weeks, if not months, before the start of the term.
All Florida public college and university bookstores, as of the fall semester, publish book information, including ISBN and price, at least 30 days before the start of a term.
HEOA resources
 HEOA Summary and Analysis
NACUA Virtual Seminar Series: Understanding the New Higher Education Act Reporting and Disclosure Requirements
Headlines
Break on Cost Of Textbooks Unlikely Before Last Bell, 2010
The Washington Post (free reg. req.) (Aug. 19, 2008)
How 5 Key Issues Were Handled in the Higher Education Act
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) (Aug. 8, 2008)
HEA: A Huge, Exacting Accountability Bill
Inside Higher Ed (Aug. 1, 2008)
Four Reasons Textbook Costs Will Drop
US News & World Report (July 21, 2008)
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