The extreme cost of textbooks is a leading challenge to university students throughout the United States. Nationally, 60% of students can not afford their textbooks which leads to failure to complete or massive debt post completion. Students are expected to purchase between 80-100 textbooks during their college career, with the average cost per year of more than $1200. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, textbook prices have risen over three times the rate of inflation from January 1977 to June 2015, a 1,041 percent increase.
University of North Florida students are no exception. Currently, 75% of UNF students receive financial assistance, and, by national standards, even the modest tuition of UNF eclipses student budgets making it difficult to purchase all of the course materials required for each class - thereby limiting student success.
The UNF Library seeks to help by purchasing and stocking more textbooks to loan to students, while also collaborating with faculty by assisting in their development of custom, online textbooks known as OERs - open educational resources. OERs are an initiative by libraries to facilitate textbook affordability by investing in faculty to develop free, online, educational resources for our students.
Our academic librarians advocate for student success and know students learn more effectively, and graduate, when all their required learning materials are easily accessible.
Every gift beginning at $100+ will make an impact in achieving textbook affordability at UNF.
Please help us establish a new, cutting-edge, norm in Textbook Affordability and give at one of the following levels:
White Library Osprey: $500
Blue Library Osprey: $1,000
Silver Library Osprey: $2,500
Gold Library Osprey: $5,000 +
Some gifts above may be pledged over a five year period.
Donors can make a one-time, or multi-year commitment (pledge) to support an area of interest for the library. For example, a gift of $5,000 can be paid in one installment or at $1,000 a year for five years.
To make a gift or for questions about giving, please contact Library Dean, Dr. Brent Mai, or Director of Development for Academic Affairs, Chaz Runfola.
Gifts can also be made online by clicking here.
