Finally. Someone has heard students' pleading for help regarding textbook costs. U.S. Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., has introduced a bill to investigate textbook costs for American students versus what international students pay for the same books.

It's nice to see someone in government trying to alleviate some of the costs of attending college, which only seem to get worse every time a legislative body meets.

As we found out, a chemistry book costs $130 on www.amazon.com but less than $60 on Amazon's United Kingdom version. There has to be a reason for the price discrepancy between books sold in the United States and those sold abroad, and it's about time it was investigated by someone with the power to make real change.

MSU's Office of Financial Aid said students sometimes pay up to $500 on a semester's worth of books.

It seems ludicrous that a student just across the pond pays a fraction of that cost. The manager of The College Store said his store determines prices with an equation relating books' prices to their buyback prices. Regardless, it still doesn't make sense that identical textbooks are more than twice as expensive here than in other countries.

It seems apparent that book companies in the United States are capitalizing on college students who are already struggling with increased housing and tuition costs.

American products, such as books and prescription drugs, seem to be unfairly priced when U.S. citizens can cross the border and find these goods at much cheaper prices.

Wu's bill might be added to the Higher Education Act, and a report following the investigation might follow in 2005.

Students should encourage their representatives in Congress to investigate this phenomenon as another way to keep college costs down.

Until the report is finalized, students might be able to bargain shop across the border using online sites such as www.amazon.co.uk, but beware of possible international shipping costs.