What's Your Best Textbook Option?

By Lorena Roberts on November 4, 2018

With the average total cost of a semester’s textbooks leveling out at $655, college students are struggling to justify taking out more student loans (or using their grocery money) to pay for the literature that would aid in their education. But why are textbooks increasing astronomically – faster than we can keep up with? 

New editions of college texted are printed pretty often — sometimes on a yearly basis with only minor changes. However, even the smallest change means re-printing the entire textbook, driving up the price. Sometimes college students can get away with buying older versions of the textbooks they need (more on this later) but they risk missing out on new information that’s recently been added to the textbook. This risk may or may not be worth it because it can save students up to half the cost of the newest textbook available.

When it comes to making a decision about accessing course materials, students must weigh their financial situation against what they think they can handle. Have you ever tried getting through a math class without the textbook? Probably pretty difficult.

via Pexels.com

So how does the decision to buy/rent/forego getting textbooks in college impact the grades our students are making? CNBC conducted a survey of more than 2,000 students across 150 different college campuses in the US. 94% of these students stated that by not buying a required textbook for their class, they were worried about the impact it would have on their grade. During the same survey, 65% of the students stated they had skipped buying a textbook for class simply because it was too expensive.

As if college students didn’t have enough to worry about when it comes to textbooks…many courses are now also requiring the purchase of access codes as well. Access codes are purchased in order to give students access to their homework assignments. It’s supposed to streamline the process of grading for many college professors. WebAssign and MyMathLab are making all kinds of money off of college students because they offer a service that can’t be replicated elsewhere for a lesser cost. These access codes can be just as expensive (or more!) than the textbook itself.

If you’re a college student in today’s world, you are no stranger to high textbook prices. Every semester you must decide whether it’s worth it. And then you start seeking other ways to get access to a textbook for less. So what do you do? There are a number of ways students have opted to find textbooks for a cheaper price. If you’re looking into ways you could be saving money on textbooks, here are some options you might want to explore:

1. Buy your textbooks from a used textbook store instead of from the bookstore on campus.

The bookstores on campus will charge you an arm and a leg for the smallest thing. I would suggest never stepping foot into one if you’re concerned about your higher education finances. Used bookstores typically exist in college towns because of how much turnover there is for college textbooks. Buying and selling used textbooks isn’t the way to become a millionaire, but it’s a way for a business owner to support themselves in a college town – that’s for sure.

The problem with buying your textbooks from used bookstores near campus is that they’ll likely still try to charge you more than what they’re really worth. If you were to buy the same book off of an upperclassman, you could it get for way cheaper. You might want to explore the option of buying your textbooks from upperclassmen through social media (see more in #6).

2. Save money by purchasing older versions of the textbooks you need.

New versions of textbooks seem to come out every year. But the changes that have been made can be extremely minor — seemingly unworthy of an entire re-print. When courses require that you get the newest edition of a textbook, it’s likely that you can actually get by with an older (cheaper!) version. Some professors will actually tell you (the honest, cool ones) that the newest edition isn’t necessary. They’re required to say the newest one is what’s required for their course, but remember that if you even have the textbook at all, you’re doing better than half the class.

The one thing you need to worry about if you’re using an older version of a textbook, is that page numbers and chapters are often altered. It seems like such a silly thing to “fix,” and it truly is. Most of the content will remain the same, but publishers like to make money (obviously) and will continue to print “new editions” in order to keep the textbook orders rolling in.

via Pexels.com

3.  Share textbooks with roommates/friends.

You aren’t the only one struggling with affording textbooks. Thousands of students look for ways to save money on textbooks every semester. So if you and your roommates or any of your friends are taking the same classes, see if they’re willing to split the cost of books with you. Surely if you’re willing to share a textbook, splitting the price of a used one won’t be too expensive. Check in with some of your friends to see what classes they’re taking.. or hit up some new friends after classes begin. See if they want to share their textbooks and save both of you some hard-earned cash.

4. Use an online subscription service like Cengage Unlimited.

There are plenty of companies out there that will allow you to access your textbooks through a subscription service. You’ll either pay per semester or per year and you’ll have access to all kinds of online textbooks/notes/resources. If you’re looking for a financially efficient way to get access to your textbooks in order to make the grades you want to make, you might want to look into a few of the online textbook subscription services.

Cengage Unlimited launched this fall, intending to give students the opportunity to access thousands of online educational resources by purchasing a subscription. Being able to access textbooks online is becoming the future of higher education. It’s one of the most preferred ways students can save money on textbook expenses without having to sacrifice their academic standing.

Cengage Unlimited gives students the option to buy a subscription either by semester or by year. While the price may seem steep, at $119.99, the access you’ll have to educational resources will be worth it. Imagine getting access to all of your classes textbooks for one price. No more hassle at the on-campus bookstore!

infographic by Lorena Roberts via Canva.com

5. Rent your textbooks from Amazon or Chegg.

When you begin college, your first two years are likely general education requirements. You’re taking classes that aren’t necessarily in your area of interest. Biology, psychology, English, and math are required courses for a college degree. It’s part of being a “well-rounded individual.” Though you are required to take these courses, you will probably have no use for the textbooks after the class is over. You’ll be stuck with four semesters of general education textbooks that you likely won’t use throughout the rest of your college career or once you’ve established your own working career.

Because of this, students will likely opt to rent their textbooks instead of buying them. Websites like Amazon will rent textbooks for a much more reasonable price. Chegg is another resource to check out if you’re interested in renting your textbooks as an alternative to a heavy price tag.

The only downside to renting your textbooks is that you’ll obviously not have a way to go back and use that textbook in the future. So for courses that are imperative to your education — for courses that are a major part of your major — you should weigh the cost versus how much you’ll likely use it in the future. Once you get into upper-level courses, it’s smart to have your own copies of the textbooks you used while in school

6. Advertise the textbooks you need for your classes across all of your social media accounts.

If you’re in a college town, heading back to school in the fall or spring, it is likely that you’re surrounded by other college students who are in the same boat as you. Upperclassmen who opted to buy their general education textbooks will be interested in getting rid of them and will seize any opportunity that presents itself to get rid of them.

If you use social media to reach out to upperclassmen (usually through Facebook groups), you’ll likely be able to purchase textbooks for a much, much cheaper price than what they’re listed for at the bookstore.

The beauty of textbooks is that there is always a demand for them. If you buy one of your textbooks for $40, you can probably turn around and sell it for the same amount a year later. Get creative with the way you advertise — reach out to people in your major who are a few years ahead of you. Ask your friends if they know anyone who’s taken the classes you’re in. There are hundreds of ways to get your books from people at a discounted price. And trust me, any college student would be happy to make $30 off a textbook.

7. Opt out of buying textbooks at all and try to get by in your classes anyway.

Many students will decide they don’t need textbooks for their courses at all. Should you decide that this is the way you’ll save money on your higher education, so be it. I’ve known many students who have gotten through the semester successfully without a textbook. Depending on the course, the professor, and how the syllabus is set up, it might be entirely possible for you to get through a semester without the text. However, if you’re taking a course with heavy reading requirements, little lecture material, and essay tests, I would suggest getting a copy of the textbook. You’ll be a better student because of it. Look at buying textbooks as an investment in your education. And if you’ve taken out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans already, what’s another few hundred dollars per semester on textbooks?

8. Utilize resource centers on campus that might be offering access to textbooks for free.

There are surely offices on your campus that offer access to textbooks for free, you just have to dig for them. Student Success Centers or any office that offers tutoring for college students would know where to send you. If you truly cannot afford college textbooks, reach out to someone in these offices. They’ll have the resources you need to get you the information you require to pass your classes. There’s no use in paying all this money to go to college if you can’t lock down the grades because your textbooks are too expensive.

College students aren’t the only ones talking about textbook prices, though it may sometimes seem that way!

NPR’s Planet Money even did a special on why textbook prices continue to rise. In addition to talking to students, NPR takes a plunge into speaking with professors and the textbook company as well. These professors are choosing textbooks that can single-handedly cost over $300. How can students possibly be expected to fork over this amount of money?

So when it comes to buying textbooks for your classes, remember that you have options besides just the bookstore on campus. And when you see your classmates looking for textbooks they need, remember that you were once in their shoes. Ripping off a freshman might be nice in the moment (and you might have some beer money) but you’re actually making their life just a little bit harder.

If you get the itch to stand up to your college/university, think about demanding open-sourced textbooks. Think about talking to professors with whom you’ve created a personal relationship and explore the possibility of using open sources. The more students who can be successful based on a community effort to make college more accessible, the more educated our society will become.

Whatever you decide to do about buying textbooks, best of luck in earning a higher education degree from the university you love!

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