Journalist: Ean Cloud (ORU)
Today I interviewed Rep. Greyson Hornek, a representative in the O.I.L House of Representatives from ORU, about a potential bill that would change the landscape of the jump between high school and college for aspiring students of higher education. Hailing from Claremore, Oklahoma, and the bill itself being solidly in the center of the political spectrum, the “Textbook Transparency Act” is a minor change that could resonate to major effect if it passes.
The origins for this bill were rooted in Hornek’s personal experiences with purchasing his own book for his freshman semester. His university offered a blanket price that was over what Hornek could afford, so he simply parched the books on his own. Little did he know, later in the year, a particularly expensive book was required with warning or other options, costing almost as much as the blanket price. As Hornek researched, he realized that there was an easy way to fix the system.
The Textbook Transparency Act requires public universities to post both their price and the market price for their required content for each of their classes 30 days before the semester starts, with recommended material as encouraged, but optional. The goal is to raise awareness of college’s massive expense before young Oklahoman men and women actually make the commitment. Targeted to help mostly those graduating high school and incoming college, the bill also has high hopes that this will put enough competition so that the private, non-state funded colleges follow suit.
As this is a regulatory bill, which would be backed up and enforced by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, there is no additional funds needed from the state budget, and awareness can save many just starting on their adult life from accidental poverty or unnecessary debt. While this awareness may cause many to avoid going to public colleges leading to a loss of revenue, those that still continue on that path will be vastly more prepared, and trust in the public school system will rise as well. Oklahoma has a long way to go before it has a perfect education system, but until then we must continue to take steps in the right direction.