College Books Outrageously Overpriced!!

BabyGirl is on her second-to-last semester in college. She will graduate in 2014 and will go back later for her Master's degree. She wants a break and she has to figure out how to come up with the money for her Master's because TOPS and her scholarship runs out. She is not willing to go the student loan route.

I am fine with that. I do believe she will return eventually. My goal was for her to get a college education and once again she pulled it off for me and herself. What more can a mom ask for?

It has been a struggle financially. It's been stressful for her. Luckily, she was able to get by with TOPS and a scholarship. We still have to pay for books and part of the tuition;

You see tuition keeps going up but TOPS don't increase..ridiculous. Almost every single semester tuition has gone up. 

Every semester I ask her how much her books are and I help her as much as I can. Her dad helps her out with the books as well, when she asks.

I've said it every semester. The cost of books are ridiculously high.  Hubby and I have had the conversation ever single semester how college and the book companies rip off students. How profitable they are. 

Luckily, some books are ebooks and they are able to rent books through online or at bookstores locally. Also, she has borrowed books from other students who already had the class and she loans her out.  I think a couple of semesters she has shared a book with another student.

By the way the rental is a little bit less than buying them. So I am sure the publisher/author is getting money from that too.

I sit and wonder. BabyGirl has help. But what about the kids who don't have scholarships or TOPS? What if their parents can't truly help them? For these kids they have to come up with tuition AND the money for the ridiculously overpriced books.

I have noticed through BabyGirl's college years how it is a racket. Every single year the companies come up with a new edition so the edition used the previous year is obsolete. The smart girl my BabyGirl is, has muddled through with the older edition a few times.

This semester she told me she needed 3 books. She bought one at B&N for almost $40. She has one to get that her professor wrote (I wonder what his share is) I think she said for another 40+. And then this last book is what freaked me out! The professor said it was okay to get last year's edition, is....are you sitting down...$97!  I expressed my shock with expletives. Then she said, "But Mom the newer edition is $180!"

Are you FREAKING kidding me? 

Is it me or am I the only one who thinks this is insane? This is just totally wrong.

I am seriously thinking of getting the publisher's name and address and write to them letting them know how I feel about their overpriced book.

What's the most you've paid for a textbook for college or trade school? What do you think about the cost of college and textbooks?