The Mount Combats the Skyrocketing Price of Textbooks

President Powell Aims to Cut Costs

EMMITSBURG, MD- Mount St. Mary’s University announces all students transferring to the Mount with an Associates degree will receive free textbooks.  This announcement is the Mount’s first phase of examining the escalating price of college textbooks while alleviating the extra cost textbooks incur for undergraduate students.

 “We realize this is a bold but necessary move to help our students with the huge cost of today’s textbooks,” says Mount President Thomas H. Powell.  “The Mount has been looking for ways to make it easier and more affordable for transfers from community colleges.  This is what needs to happen.”

According to a recent study by the Student Public Interest Research Groups, the average cost for a college-level text book is $131.44 per book. 

In this initial step, all transfer students who received their Associates’ degree and are enrolled at the Mount for spring semester of 2010 will not have to pay for textbooks.  The free books are awarded for two academic years or four semesters.  The spring application deadline for transfer students is December 1, 2009. 

Mount officials will review the results of this beginning phase and assess the outcome in hopes of broadening the reach and making textbooks more affordable for all Mount college students. 

Named one of the most faithful and affordable Catholic colleges in the country, Mount St. Mary’s University competes on the national level with its nineteen Division One athletic teams. The Mount has more than 70 club and intramural sports and a vibrant campus activity program. 

For more information please visit www.msmary.edu.