Your Alma Mater by President Sharon Gaber
Reducing costs for students supports their success
The cost of textbooks has increasingly become a burden for college students across this country. Since 2006, the cost of college textbooks has risen by 73 percent – more than four times the rate of inflation. Unlike when most of us earned our degrees, today it’s not uncommon for students to pay $500 to $1,000 per semester for textbooks.
That’s why I am pleased to announce UT is launching a new program that will automatically provide our students with lower cost, digital course materials when they enroll in a number of specific courses beginning in fall 2018. This new program is in addition to the Toledo Tuition Guarantee we recently announced, which provides a fixed, four-year tuition rate for new undergraduate students who enroll this fall.
Called the Inclusive Access Program, the new digital materials program is a model in which a fee for course materials is added to the tuition when a student registers for the course. This program not only provides significant cost savings over a bookstore’s retail prices, but also serves as a convenience by automatically connecting students with required course materials so they have access on the first day of class.
The program will be offered for 14 high-enrollment courses in UT’s College of Business and Innovation, and our College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
In addition to cost savings, other advantages of digital course materials include easier portability, plus prompt access 24/7, via laptops, e-readers, smart phones and other electronic devices. Further, electronic course materials offer students the ability to change text size as well as the contrast between text and the background, reducing eyestrain. And, students also may use text-to-speech software, which is especially helpful for students with special needs.
UT has been named the best four-year college in Ohio for affordability, flexibility and student services. Additionally, our graduates have the lowest student loan debt among all of Ohio’s public colleges and universities. Regardless, we continue to work on additional strategies to reduce costs for our students – including boosting philanthropy to fund student scholarships – because students’ academic success remains our top strategic priority.
Thanks to each of you, our loyal alumni, for continuing to support our efforts! Please help us by sharing this and other great news about your alma mater. By working together, the University is gaining momentum and raising our reputation statewide, nationally and across the globe. Go Rockets!
Sincerely,
Sharon L. Gaber, Ph.D.
President, The University of Toledo
