VIVA Course Materials Survey: Hollins compared to Virginia averages
VIVA (Virginia’s academic library consortium) administered a survey in 2022 & 2025 to Hollins students to better understand
- how Virginia students are impacted by the costs of course materials.
- the extent to which these costs affect educational equity in the Commonwealth.
How worried were you about meeting your course materials costs this term? (percentages)
2022
2025
Our students’ feelings of “Extremely worried” about course costs were cut in half, going from 24% to 11%.
Students who reported “Not at all worried” increased from 19% to 30%.
2025 PRIVATE AVGs: Extremely worried (13%) and Moderately worried (24%). Hollins students are LESS worried than the private average.
How much did you spend on course materials, whether purchased, rented, or leased, during this semester?
| 2022 | Hollins University |
|---|---|
| $0 | |
| $1-100 | 35% |
| $101-200 | 43% |
| $201-300 | 17% |
| $301-400 | 2% |
| $401 or more | 3% |
| 2025 | Hollins University | Virginia average |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | 2% | |
| $1-100 | 26% | 21% |
| $101-200 | 30% | 29% |
| $201-300 | 26% | 21% |
| $301-400 | 13% | 13% |
| $401 or more | 4% | 16% |
2022: In your academic career, has the cost of required course materials caused you to: Not purchase the required textbook. (percentages)
2025: In your academic career, has the cost of required course materials caused you to: Not purchase the required textbook. (percentages)
The number of students increased from 2022 to 2025 who reported “Frequently” not purchasing the required textbook, from 24% to 34%. In 2025, our students were 34% compared to the Virginia average of 22%.
2025 Private AVGs: Frequently (24%) and Occasionally (31%). Hollins students report not purchasing textbooks MORE than the state average.
Have any of the following large decisions been based at all on the cost of course materials? (percentages)
Have any of the following large decisions been based at all on the cost of course materials? (percentages)
2025 Private AVGs: Hollins students were very CLOSE to the PRIVATE AVG in this category.
Can you please tell us more about how the cost of course materials has influenced your educational progress?
I often do not buy the required text for some courses if it is too expensive; rather, I try to find the material for free online. If I am unable to find it online, then I do not complete the assigned reading.
Not only is it a source of anxiety of wanting to save as much money as possible, but it also it is a concern that I am starting at a disadvantage and having to work harder when I cannot buy a textbook for a class.
The cost of course materials has had a significant impact on my educational progress. In several instances, I’ve had to delay purchasing textbooks or access codes because they were simply too expensive. This sometimes meant falling behind in readings or assignments, which made it harder to keep up with the course and affected my performance. I’ve also had to rely on borrowing materials from classmates, sharing textbooks, or searching for free resources online, which isn’t always reliable or efficient.
I didn’t actually buy book required for my prerequisite classes and often read summaries off of internet for class discussion because I could only afford to buy books of my major.
I have chosen to take different courses and considered dropping courses because the textbooks were too expensive for me to afford.
It has held me back from taking more courses and doing school clubs because I need to work.