Some Universities Require Students to Use E-Textbooks

Students don't seem to want to buy e-textbooks. So some schools are simply forcing them. Typically, students don't save much when opting to buy an e-textbook. For example, an organic chemistry e-textbook costs about $100, while the print version costs just $15 more.

Indiana University was the first college to pilot a program three years ago by making students buy the e-textbook in selected courses. Five more universities have adopted similar programs: University of California-Berkeley, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, University of Virginia and Cornell University.

For UW senior Leslie Epstein, having to buy an e-textbook only added to her expenses.