Fees, textbooks costs included in Kishwaukee College tuition starting this summer, officials announce

MALTA – Kishwaukee College will include all fees and textbooks in the cost of tuition starting in the summer 2025 semester, a move meant to increase cost transparency for prospective students, college President Laurie Borowicz said.

The college began eliminating fees in 2024 and will now focus on removing textbook fees, according to a news release. The new textbook initiative provides students with all required physical or digital textbooks as part of the cost of tuition.

Students will see one charge on their financial statements, which includes tuition, fees and required textbooks.

“The advertised cost of tuition is what students will pay to attend Kish,” Borowicz said in a news release. “Cost transparency is important as students and families plan for the true cost of attending college. It also contributes to student success, as they will have the required books they need for their classes on day one without having to pay separately for books.”

At the March Kishwaukee College Board of Trustees meeting, the board approved an $8 per credit hour increase to the base-rate tuition to cover the costs of all required textbooks, digital books and access codes, according to a news release. Students can opt out of receiving their textbooks through Kishwaukee College. When opting out, students receive a refund for the $8 per credit hour cost.

Students who pay for textbooks through tuition rather than independently buying them could save hundreds of dollars per semester. An associate in arts student taking 15 credit hours in a semester can expect to save about $165.

Studies have shown that student success improves when textbooks are more affordable, and students can access course materials immediately. A 2023 survey by the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois showed 69% of Illinois college students said textbook costs caused them not to buy required materials for class.

“Kishwaukee College has made it a multi-year goal to examine and improve textbook affordability for our students. Affordability and access have been shown to improve student success while increasing savings for students and their families,” said Bob Johnson, chair of the college’s Board of Trustees.

The “all-in” tuition program is made possible in part by the Kishwaukee College Foundation.

On average, the college’s nursing program’s textbook costs are much higher than materials for other classes and programs, according to the release. Due to the generosity of donors interested in the Nursing program, the Foundation Board has approved funding the additional textbook costs next year.

Another initiative making the “all-in” model possible is the use of Open Educational Resources – free teaching and learning materials for instructors and students – to reduce the cost of textbooks. Since 2018, the college has tripled the number of courses using OERs, saving students almost $1 million in textbook costs. This initial work has significantly impacted the college’s ability to offer the “all-in” tuition model.