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# College Textbook Costs, In Their Words: Lucas Smith, William Penn University
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/college-textbook-costs-in-their-words-lucas-smith-william-penn-university/
- Published: 2018-05-08T09:00:09.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T02:39:14.000Z
- Author: Jasmin Sonnenschein
- Tags: Education, iowawatch, affordable college, college costs, college textbooks, digital textbooks, William Penn University, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

Q: How much did you pay for all textbooks, hard copy and e-textbooks, this semester?

**Lucas Smith: I paid $350 for all my books.**

##### Lucas Smith, 21  
Spring 2018 senior  
William Penn University  
Hometown: Sully, Iowa  
Major: Sports and Recreation management

Q: What was your most expensive book, and how much did it cost?

**The most expensive book was Sports Law and I believe it cost around $200.**

Q: How often do you use your textbooks?

**Smith: Three times a week for one book and 1 time a week for another.**

Q: How much did you spend on e-textbooks this semester?

**Smith: $50.**

Q: How often do you use the Internet?

**Smith: I use the Internet almost daily.**

Q: Did you resell your books from last semester, and if so, how much money did you get back from them?

**Smith: I didn’t resell them for future references.**

Q: Does the value you get from your textbooks match what you pay for them?

**Smith: I don’t think they do right now because the professors don’t use them every day and these books get way too pricey.**

Q: Do you think it is necessary that college books are so expensive especially considering students having limited income?

**Smith: No, because some students can’t afford to get their books at all and it hurts their education and it’s already expensive enough.**

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