“Booka, booka, booka, booka, booka, booka.”

So begins rapper Mos Def’s classic track “Mathematics.” How unintentionally appropriate.

As a student at the University of Iowa, I can personally attest to the outrageous mathematics behind purchasing the required textbooks for my schooling. This summer, I’m taking Principles of Chemistry I. For the five materials required for this single course, I shelled out more than $300. This is in addition to the $1,200 cost for the actual class.

Luckily, I’m not alone in my righteous indignation. A number of other, far more powerful people have reached the same conclusion about this ridiculous equation independent of my eager advice: Starting July 1, the U.S. government will have the backs of broke college students everywhere. And it’s about time.

When the reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act takes effect in five days, textbook publishers will be required to provide postsecondary faculty with detailed information regarding the price of textbooks, copyright dates of earlier editions, what the changes between those editions are, and more.

Vincent Sampson, the deputy assistant secretary for policy, planning, and innovation in the Office of Postsecondary Education (what a title), said the education act will enable professors to use books that provide more or less current information at fair prices.

It’s worth noting, however, that there won’t be any statues limiting prices. The latest edition will still cost lots and lots of money. It’s going to be on professors to take a moment and review the differences between latest edition (X) and almost-latest edition (X minus one) and then decide if those differences merit requiring their students to shell out gobs of money.

And here’s to hoping they decide it’s not worth it, because what are my options for recouping my $300-plus investment in my chemistry materials? Sell back the books? I could probably get about $100 back for my main chemistry textbook. But the lab manual or course packet, which cost me almost $50? Can’t resell those. So I get $100 back, and that’s not bad. But, here’s the thing.

Classes are being taught in such a way that students simply don’t remember the material after a few semesters (let alone years). So, while I’m certainly learning a lot about chemistry (Did you know that the formula for chromate is CrO4, and the formula for dichromate is Cr2O7? Neither did I.) I’m probably not going to remember everything I need to know in a few years. And I don’t know about you, but rather than trust my notes, I’d prefer to be able to go back and check vital information at the source.

This is awfully difficult to do if I sold my textbook back just so I could afford rent over the summer. (I feel like it should tell you something about the price of these books if selling them back nets you a month’s worth of rent …) Thus, I am faced with the prospect of paying, and not recouping, the full price of some awfully expensive textbooks.

So, and I never thought I’d say this, but thank you, President Bush. (He signed the education act into law in August 2008.) The aforementioned laundry list of revisions will be a great first step toward bringing the celestial prices of next year’s textbooks back to earth. At the end of the day, however, it’s still on professors to execute a final analysis of cost and benefit; they’ll just be much better informed.

Course packet? $10. Safety goggles? $15. Lab manual? $30. Course review book? $70. Actual text book? A ridiculous $220. Federal legislation that will actually keep that sum less than next month’s rent? Priceless. Definitely priceless.