The cost of required materials for classes at universities across the country is astronomical. Nationwide, students pay an average of $900 a year for textbooks alone, and the cost of textbooks has risen at four times the rate of inflation for the last two decades.

At Tufts University, Director of Dining and Business Services Patti Klos has approached the executive administrative deans at the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering to launch a textbook rental program as early as January 2011. This would mean that students could access their class materials at half the cost.

It's a simple idea, and easily achieveable, especially with outside support. Hundreds of other universities around the country have implemented textbook rental programs. This can help students afford their education, rather than keep excess profits in the hands of education publishers.

Photo credit: djfoobarmatt