As a first-year Carleton student studying economics, Emilie Holt enjoys using term-limited digital electronic textbooks.
The move away from traditional textbooks makes for a more convenient course experience — and a lighter backpack.
The drawback? She’ll never own it.
Term-bound, temporary online textbooks are taking centre stage across Canadian universities, with students seeing a shift even further towards a digital education.
Universities like Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier, which are neck deep in the move, justify their initiatives by suggesting that online textbooks come in bundles, with helpful tools like homework platforms, quizzes and other related resources.
But some students fear they may be feeling the same financial pain without any of the long-term reward.
Pay for access, not ownership
For student advocates like Omar Mousa, a flat, semesterly fee determined by institutions doesn’t necessarily cost students less in the long term. In fact, it may be indicative of a broader ideological shift.
Mousa, Ontario’s national executive representative for the Canadian Federation of Students, says mandatory digital access to course materials reflects a growing tendency to treat education as a private commodity.
“Currently, what we’re seeing is the government and our institutions treating it as a private, for-profit initiative,” Mousa said.
Carleton’s Bookstore markets this digitalization as a cheaper, more convenient alternative to independently purchased, printed textbooks.
The university’s critics of this system argue time-limited digital licenses for textbooks erode student choice, worsen affordability and prioritize university-controlled resources over others.
Aidan Kallioinen*, vice-president of student services at CUSA, says online textbooks limit student autonomy from the outset.
Kallioinen said the “affordability” approach is more complicated than the university lets on, as students cannot recoup costs through resale or reuse.
“When you’re in any kind of lease or temporary ownership and being charged at a rate which is disproportionate to what it simply costs to buy it, it is just a way for universities to make these things appear cheaper,” he said.
“In reality, they’re likely making more money than they otherwise would.”
Steven Reid, a media relations representative for Carleton University, said in a statement that digital textbooks are often more affordable and transparent than print alternatives.
“Digital materials are often more cost-effective than printed materials and those typically come with access codes that are active for the duration of the course,” Reid wrote.
“Pricing for digital textbooks follows publisher-set rates without markup, thanks to the store’s internal operation.”
The problem of ‘sunk costs’
For students, however, the issue is not only how much they pay — but what they get to keep.
Digital textbooks are bought via license, meaning when the license term ends — most commonly after an academic semester or year — repurchasing the license is the only way to access them.
This means that even though students may want to revisit the material for future classes or exams, they may not be able to.
Emilie Holt said this model feels fundamentally unfair.
“I think if I’m (paying) for it, I should be able to buy it forever, and then I can get it resold … it’s a total sunk cost in my opinion.”
The economics behind textbooks
Not everyone agrees that a digital shift is a negative one.
Ian Lee, an economics professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, said the textbook debate is often misunderstood.
“There’s no such thing as a textbook market,” Lee said. “There is a market for each textbook, in each different discipline, in each different course.”
From his perspective, digital rentals can benefit students by reducing upfront costs through partnerships with universities.
“If I was a student today, I would be celebrating the fact that there’s the option to rent the book … for a much smaller price than buying it.”
Lee said textbook costs are within the broader expense of higher education.
“Textbooks are less than 10 per cent of the cost of education … it’s not outrageous,” he said.
“I know it’s upsetting to a student at the time, but they graduate, and they make a significant wage premium.”
Education as a human right
For national student advocates like Mousa, the issue of textbooks extends beyond individual frustration to questions of equity and access to education.
“Education is a human right and needs to be treated as such,” Mousa said. “We’re not just talking about tuition, we’re talking about all forms of resources … This also includes things like textbooks.
“Textbooks and other resources are necessary for our education. So their costs shouldn’t actually add to the financial barriers that students continue to face.”
While proponents point to convenience and lower sticker prices, students and advocates warn that temporary access comes at a hidden cost: the loss of ownership.
For Holt, the issue is simple.
“If I’m paying for it, I should be able to keep it.”
*Aidan Kallioinen has previously contributed to the Charlatan.
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji/the Charlatan
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