Pledge to Write an LTE

Sample To the Editor: The US House made the right move by including provisions to curb the rising cost of textbooks in The College Opportunity and Affordability Act.  Textbook prices are out of control. [INSERT PERSONAL STORY] Students like me are paying $900 per year, which sometimes leaves us choosing between textbooks and groceries!  We all know that publishers inflate prices through practices like bundling in CDs and online pass codes, issuing new editions to drive used books off the market, and keeping faculty in the dark about  how much students will pay.  This bill requires publishers to own up to their prices and give professors information to consider the cost, and it stops them from shrink-wrapping useless supplements into textbooks we have to buy.  The bill also asks schools to give students their list of textbooks before school starts so we can shop around for lower prices. When the House and Senate meet to combine their bills, they need to include these provisions to make textbooks affordable!

Great news! We won a major victory this week against textbook rip-offs! The US House of Representatives passed legislation last week that will help curb textbook costs. Now we need to publically thank our Representatives and urge the U.S. House of Representative and the U.S. Senate to  make sure the provisions make it in the final bill! Media is a great way to do that. And, the Letter to the Editor’s page is the most read section of the paper.

Sign the pledge to below to write your local paper, so that we can keep the momentum going and make textbooks more affordable.

Tips On Writing a Letter to the Editor

1. Keep it short and simple
2. Tell your own personal story
3. Call the Editor of the Letter of the Editor’s page to Ask them to print it!