TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner (D – Mercer, Hunterdon) that would help ease the cost of higher education by establishing textbook rental programs has cleared the Senate.
The bill, S1369, would authorize public institutions of higher education to establish a textbook rental program for the students at each of the institution’s campuses. Under the bill, for any rental program established the average annual textbook rental cost for full-time students could not exceed 50% of the average annual retail purchase cost of textbooks for full-time students. The program would not limit the rights of faculty to select appropriate texts in accordance with established campus policies and procedures.