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HEOA Textbook Provision


The intent of the textbook provision within the 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act is “is to ensure that students have access to affordable course materials by decreasing costs to students and enhancing transparency and disclosure with respect to the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials.”  For the full text of the HEOA Act, click here. Faculty, administrators, bookstores, publishers and students are all encouraged to participate in finding ways to “decrease the cost of college textbooks and supplemental materials for students.”

Student Access:  the federal regulation requires posting of textbook information by registration. For Virginia Tech, compliance with the regulation requires posting prior to the opening of DROPADD. 

How can faculty participate?

  • Be aware of the “unbundling” of “bundled” course materials*

  • Ensure that “substantial content revisions” have been made to materials prior to ordering a new edition†

  • Submit your textbook order to the University Bookstore on time††

* BUNDLE—The term ‘bundle’ means one or more college textbooks or other supplemental materials that may be packaged together to be sold as course materials for one price (source: Sec. 122, HEOA 2008). Publishers are required by the Act to offer each item from a bundled course materials packet individually and at individual prices. Publishers should make you aware of this option when you are choosing your course materials.

† SUBSTANTIAL CONTENT —The term ‘substantial content’ means parts of a college textbook such as new chapters, new material covering additional eras of time, new themes, or new subject matter. Publishers are required to inform you of the copyright dates of the three previous editions of a textbook and any supplemental materials. Additionally, the publishers must describe the major differences or revisions between the current and previous editions of the textbook or supplemental material (source: Sec. 122, HEOA 2008). Be sure to make receive this information from the publisher when making your course materials selections.

†† The deadline for submitting textbook orders to the bookstore is one week prior to the opening of Drop/Add for the next term.