It appears that textbook costs to students may be lower in the future given recent federal legislative language.

The federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 went into effect on July 1, 2010 . Part of the language included in the bill will require the relationship between many textbook publishers and colleges to change.

As of July 1, 2010, publishers are required to disclose prices and revision information when marketing textbooks to professors, which will allow them to choose lower-cost options. In addition, publishers are required to offer all of the items in the textbook bundles for sale separately so students will not be forced to pay for materials they do not need. Finally, the Act encourages Colleges to provide a list of assigned textbooks for each course so students can shop around for the best deal.