It appears one of the latest solutions to high textbook costs for the poor college student is renting them.
Looking back on my college days I remember paying hundreds of dollars for text books. I always bought used when I could, but not every text was available as used book, so many times I had to shell out big bucks for new ones.
It seemed most kids were excited to go sell their books back at the end of school so they could get a little bit of spending money. No one really expected that much, but it was usually enough to have a few fun nights out on the town.
Today, things are different. Many students are now opting to rent versus buy used or new. Given the costs associated with buying textbooks you can probably understand why.
Here’s what a MarketWatch.com article says about the costs:
Students at four-year U.S. colleges spent $1,122 a year on textbooks on average in the 2009-10 academic year, the College Board reports, a 32% increase from five years ago.
Tips to consider when renting textbooks
I also picked up on a number of helpful tips when I read the MarketWatch article. Overall, I would make sure you understand the rental agreement before you rent.
- You’ll need to follow the standards outlined for taking care of your books
- Underlining and highlighting is allowed (just not too much).
- You’ll have to pay replacement costs if you lose or damage your book.
- Don’t be late as grace periods run short.
- You can typically return or exchange a book within 30 days with no extra charges.
- You can buy a book you rented and pay the difference in cost.
According to the article, you should also keep in mind that renting isn’t always cheaper than buying a used book. With buying used, you can still recoup some of your costs if you do decide to sell.
Where can you rent textbooks?
There are a number of places you can rent books online if you’ve decided to give it a try. I found these tips from Yahoo Answers. Note: I haven’t checked these sources out, so let us know if you’ve had experience with them, or other services you liked or disliked.
But, is renting text books really a good idea?
Here’s another perspective to consider:
I was a business major and one of the things I dreaded after graduating from undergrad and graduate school was that I had sold all of my books. I often wanted to pick up a text book and look up a term or concept to help me in the business world. Those text books can come in more handy than you think once you graduate.
Call me a nerd, but I visited a used book store in Dallas one-time and just happened to stumble across a used textbook section. After browsing around for a while I found many of the old business books I had used in school offered at ridiculously low prices (probably because they were outdated. Today, I have most of my books back on my bookshelf as handy resources when needed.
So, is walking away from school without having any of your textbooks a good idea? I suppose it depends on your field of study, or major. Renting textbooks may help you save money, but it may not always be the best option. My advice: rent if you need to save the money, but consider buying the book if it’s a class for your major and add it to your personal library.
Do you think renting text books is a good idea? Do you rent textbooks? If so, where do you rent them?
