Purchasing textbooks and course materials is a top source of financial stress for college students, and lack of access and affordability of these materials is hurting their academic performance, according to a Morning Consult survey of 1,651 current and former students. The survey also revealed that students will sacrifice basic needs, such as food and spending time with loved ones, in order to afford their course materials.
Key findings:
- 85 percent of students say that paying for textbooks and course materials is financially stressful.
- 20 percent of students surveyed have changed their major to reduce costs.
- 81 percent of students say that easily accessible digital course materials would have a positive impact on their grades.
Related links:
New Survey: College Students Consider Buying Course Materials a Top Source of Financial Stress
Why Are So Many of Today’s Learners Sacrificing Basic Needs for Textbooks?