Penn State President Graham Spanier identified the number of 8 a.m. classes as a problem that needs to be addressed. However, it does not matter what time a class begins if students cannot afford the materials for the class -- namely the required textbooks.

Textbook publishing is a big business and with most interaction with big business, there are winners and losers. And in this instance, college students get the short end of the stick.

To complain about the problem and say that it is "unfair" does not benefit anyone. But there are actions the university and professors can take to ease the burden on students.

Before the end of each of semester, the reading lists for each class are available if students go to the Penn State Bookstore and swipe their ID cards through the card readers. Yet, most students don't know that option is available to them. At the very least, Penn State should publicize the facts that the booklists are accessible early. Not every student can make it to the HUB at the end of a semester because of commitments.

If the administration wants to be more accommodating to students, why can't Penn State post the booklists online? With more time to shop around, students can save money by searching different Web sites and book distributors for the necessary reading material.

Professors can do more in bringing down the price of textbooks. They have more options available, such as using copy centers instead of bookstores. Or maybe they can buy the books themselves.

An increasing trend in most classes is to assign course packets instead of textbooks. Most times they are cheaper, but the packets cannot be exchanged if a student drops a class.

On the course availability site on the Penn State Web page, there could be a link providing a professor's syllabus. Students would then know in advance what is required of them and therefore make more informed choices about what classes to schedule.

Fewer classes would be dropped, saving students money. To return a book purchased online, shipping costs have to be paid or they would not buy a course packet in the first place.

Some may think it is a moot point to focus time and energy on saving a few hundred dollars a year. But with increases in tuition each year, it becomes much more difficult for people to attend college.

A growing number of students at Penn State are reaching their financial breaking point, and whatever can be done to help them must be pursued.