The College Textbook Industry Is F*cking You Over — Here's Their Method

The college textbook industry is fucking you over — in more ways than one. 

That's the bottom line of a bold, NSFW YouTube video uploaded by Charlie, an alleged recent University of Tampa grad:

Here's how they get ya:

College students typically spend $1,200 a year on textbooks, according to a recent College Board report. And the information out there shows it's a big, fat waste.

The price of educational books have increased 812% since 1978. That's more than 200% the price increase of medical services and new homes for the same time period.

How does the textbook industry get away with scamming students so hard? 

Colleges make textbooks mandatory for students — and students are often required to purchase the latest edition of the textbook despite the fact it costs them $100 extra and there's virtually no difference between the latest and older editions, Charlie said. 

"They typically just receive a syllabus and purchase as told," the Atlantic's Terrance F. Ross wrote in a 2015 article "The Death of Textbooks?" 

"As a result, the price point is largely exempt from popular demand, giving publishers supreme control."

He said he studied the latest and previous edition of a kinesiology textbook he was required to purchase for class and found the only difference was that some of the chapters were reordered. "No new information" was in the newer edition, he said. 

Charlie's observation was right on target. Some people who used to work in the industry admitted there are usually no significant changes made to newer editions of educational textbooks — it's usually a cover picture update that allows publishers to slap on an extra $100 to students' tuition bills.

The bottom line?

Watch the full video below: