Students Deserve Affordable Education – Not Corporate Exploitation

We, the students of the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), demand an end to the exploitative pricing practices of the Missouri S&T Bookstore, now operated by Barnes & Noble College. Since this corporate takeover, we have been misled by flashy branding and false promises, only to face inflated prices and limited options. Previously, when the bookstore was managed in-house by Missouri S&T, textbook pricing was more reasonable and student-friendly. Through collaboration with the University of Missouri System and the State of Missouri, the university utilized AutoAccess. This program helped students save hundreds of dollars each year by providing affordable digital course materials. Now, with Barnes & Noble at the helm, students are left in the dark. It's unclear whether AutoAccess still exists or is being phased out. What is clear, however, is that this Fortune 500 company is tricking students into paying well above market value for required textbooks and materials, all to maximize corporate profits and line the pockets of CEOs at the expense of student success. Missouri S&T must do better. Students deserve affordable education, not corporate exploitation.

The Scam
Each semester, Missouri S&T students are automatically subscribed, for lack of a better term, to the “Miner Book Bundle”, a program that, at a rate of $360 per term for full-time, $168 for part-time, or $24 per credit hour for graduate students, provides rented copies of our textbooks. We are then given 30 days to opt out from the subscription if we wish to find our textbooks ourselves. These books, if purchased new or rented from the bookstore, are often priced at two to three times, if not ten or more times, higher than what can be found from independent retailers like Amazon, Valore, BookScouter, and AbeBooks. In some cases, identical new books that can be purchased online for $20 are rented for over $100 for the same edition. This is not a matter of convenience or service; it’s a matter of profiteering off students who are required to purchase these materials to succeed in their courses.

The Blame
Missouri S&T’s administration is complicit in this scheme. By partnering with Barnes & Noble College, the University grants them access to a captive market, the student body. By enabling and allowing Barnes & Noble to automatically enroll us in the “Miner Book Bundle,” which is falsely advertised by both them and the University, where they claim to provide 35-50% savings on the cost of course materials, which is in fact not the truth. This “partnership” creates a monopoly environment, and without transparency or accountability, students are left footing the bill with no recourse. There is little to no communication about how textbook pricing is determined, how much profit the bookstore or university makes from textbook sales, or what options professors are given when choosing their textbooks, which can contribute to this lack of transparency. With the start of this new partnership, although multiple informational sessions were scheduled, they were placed at 2:00 PM, a time when students would be occupied by their internships, co-ops, or other summer jobs, making it almost impossible for students to voice their opinions.

Steps Toward Ending the Bookstore Scam
We call on Missouri S&T to take immediate and meaningful action to prioritize students over corporate profits.

1. Require price transparency for all course materials sold by the campus bookstore, including clear comparisons with major online retailers.
2. Expand and support Open Educational Resources (OER) for all applicable courses to provide low-cost or free alternatives to traditional textbooks.
3. Reevaluate the Barnes & Noble College contract with complete transparency and include student representatives in the review process.
4. End exclusive sourcing practices that force students to rely on the University Bookstore when more affordable options are available.
5. Preserve and prioritize the AutoAccess program, which has historically saved students over 15 million dollars over the last 5 years, and hundreds of dollars per semester through affordable digital materials. Ensure it remains accessible and student-focused under any bookstore management.

Why This Matters
The cost of textbooks should never be a barrier to learning. Many students who purchase all their textbooks each year never spend anywhere near $100 a semester on course materials, let alone the $360 rental fee Barnes & Noble is charging for convenience. Missouri S&T has a responsibility to uphold the values of fairness, access, and student advocacy. Continuing this partnership without accountability violates that responsibility.

Take Action
We urge students, faculty, alumni, and community members to stand with us. Sign this petition to demand that Missouri S&T stop allowing corporations like Barnes & Noble College to take advantage of students through overpriced textbooks and supplies. It’s time to stop the campus bookstore scam.