deciding whether to rent college textbooks or buy them

To Buy or To Rent, That is the Question…

by derek

With the astronomical price of buying new textbooks, thousands of college students are looking for alternative sources to either buy used or to rent textbooks on sites such as Amazon.com and Chegg.com. My first semester of college, I ended up buying some of my books used from the bookstore and some from online sites. [click to continue…]

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does your college's bookstore have a textbook return policy?

Know Your University’s Textbook Refund Policy

by ashley

You’ve just spent $160 on a Biology textbook for the upcoming Spring semester. However, two weeks into the semester, you realize Biology is not the course for you and you immediately fill out a “drop” form. You head on over to the bookstore to return that dreaded Biology book that cost you two day’s salary. However, you quickly learn that your university, like many, has strict return policies. Your next bet is to try to sell the textbook online for about half the price. [click to continue…]

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The Story Behind the High Cost of Textbooks

Here’s a question any college student could probably answer: What category of items have increased in price at nearly quadruple the rate of most finished goods? If you guessed “textbooks,” you’re right! Averaging $900 per year and adding 20% to already rising tuition costs, textbooks are a significant part of the cost of higher education. [...]

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Returning Your Rented Textbooks? Be Sure to Follow These Guidelines

Renting textbooks is becoming a booming industry for college students looking to save money at the beginning of each semester. Buying textbooks for classes often leaves students paying hundreds of dollars for overpriced books they may crack only once or twice for a course. While purchased textbooks can be sold back at the end of [...]

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Tired of Paying for a Book You Will Barely Use? Buy per Chapter

Any college student can adamantly describe their frustration to learn that they’ve just paid $90 for a textbook in which they will only be using chapters 5, 6, and 7. While there are many professors that do use material from every chapter in a textbook, you will find many who simply pick and choose a [...]

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Pros and Cons of Purchasing Digital Copies of College Textbooks

With the technological advancements of Kindles, iPads, and other e-readers, many foreshadow that textbooks will eventually be offered mainly as digital copies. With the invention of such devices, students can simply download a digital copy of their required textbooks (often for a fraction of the cost) and view the content on the device. While the [...]

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Could Adopting An Open Source Textbook System Save Students Money?

The average college student will spend upwards of $900 this year on textbooks. For a community college student, this $900 may equal half of their tuition. For a public four year institution student, this may equal 20% of their tuition. With no end in sight for the continual rise of textbook prices, the U.S. PIRG [...]

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Mistakes Students Make When Selling Back Their Textbooks

At the end of the semester most students cannot wait to unload their textbooks and get some cash to spend on a summer vacation. However, there are a few common mistakes that students make each semester that costs them a sale or money. First off, consider the condition of the book before attempting to sell [...]

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Find & Rent Your College Textbooks Online

If every semester you go through the hassles of purchasing overly priced textbooks from the bookstore, only to find that your buyback price is significantly lower than the original purchase price or that it isn’t eligible for return, you should consider renting your textbooks. Recently gaining a lot of attention, renting a textbook is a [...]

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What to Consider Before Selling Your College Textbooks

It’s the end of the fall semester and you want nothing more than to turn in your textbooks for some cash, pack your belongings, and head home for Christmas break. But wait, turn in your textbooks for cash? Yes, although the $100 you get for two textbooks may be appealing, you should stop and consider [...]

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