Chemistry freshman Josue Romero piled his books and supplies high in his arms while waiting for the register at the UF Bookstore.
He said his theater appreciation books, biology bundle and paper supplies will cost him about $250.
The 18-year-old said he noticed the steep price of textbooks last semester when he spent $300 on books alone.
UF Bookstore director Lynne Vaughan, who has been working at the bookstore for about 12 years, said although the price of textbooks has gone up, everything else has also due to inflation.
A recent report found that textbook prices have increased 812 percent since 1978, which is faster than the rate of the consumer price index, which has increased 250 percent, according to the American Enterprise Institute.
Vaughan said publishers set the price of their books to make a profit and release new editions with better photography and paper.
According to the U.S. Public Interest Group, editions are released on average every four years.
“That quality doesn’t come free,” she said.
Vaughan said the university tries to keep costs down for students by offering more options, such as used books, textbook rentals and textbook deferment.
Vaughan said the most expensive books are the bundles with CDs and online components since students cannot resell they can only be used once. She said the best deal is to rent or buy used books.
She estimated that students spend $400 to $500 on average for books per semester.
Romero said he tries to keep books affordable by paying for them with textbook deferment and reselling them after the semester is over to make a profit.
“UF has a little black market when it comes to textbook exchange,” he said.
Contact Colleen Wright at cwright@alligator.org.
