I think it would be the opposite. If universities buy them in bulk and makes all textbooks required, what's to stop them from charging egregious prices that jus

I think it would be the opposite. If universities buy them in bulk and makes all textbooks required, what's to stop them from charging egregious prices that just get tacked on? I'm not sure what your university experience was like but mine was that of "you are a number and we do not care." At least with the current system, instructors can find alternatives as well as students. Only lazy or easy teachers do the online course that auto grades everything for you.