College textbooks are one of the most overpriced aspects of public education. As if the rising cost of tuition wasn’t already an issue, textbooks and e-books alike have been increasing massively in price. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics within the past decade, college tuition prices have increased a total of 63%, while textbook prices have silently inflated by 88%! Unfortunately, it’s impossible to tell in the beginning of the semester how many of the 20 books you need to order you’ll actually use past those four months, let alone during them! Many colleges and universities offer renting options, but even those fees can be wildly expensive, and more times than not the university bookstores won’t even have a rent option, forcing you to spend anywhere from $50-$300 on a single book, or even worse, an online code.
Luckily, there’s hope, while students attending college can’t avoid buying textbooks, there are plenty of online services out there to help ease some of the hefty costs of these textbooks.
CHEGG:
Chegg is one of the most popular, if not THE most popular, book rental website out there for students. Chegg is known for it’s massive library of options and discounts on all of their hard-copy and e-book options. Books are priced up to 90% discount of sticker price, and shipping is free on all orders over $50, which shouldn’t be an issue as long as your taking at least three classes. Chegg also offers a 21 day return policy in case you drop a class, or order the wrong book, this was you can simply send the book back without any of the hassle. Another amazing service that Chegg also provides is book buy backs ! This way if you’re just discovering the magic of this website, and already have bought numerous books from your college bookstore, you can send them to Chegg and make some extra money! You can get an instant quote simply by entering the textbook ISBN, and then they’ll email you a free shipping label and your all set!
Amazon:
Amazon is known as the online store where you can literally get whatever you want. Textbooks are no exception, the best part? Amazon offers renting for every textbook on the site! You can simply enter the textbook title, author, or even the ISBN number to find your book and then choose if you’d like to rent or buy! With Amazon Prime, you won’t have to worry about getting the book in time for class either because you’ll receive free two day shipping. If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, Amazon offers a SIX MONTH free trial for all students when you sign up with your university email. Amazon also makes returning rented textbooks easy, and also has a service that lets you sell your old books!
VALOREBOOKS:
ValoreBooks personally guarantee that they can save you up to $500 a year on textbook prices! This website, like the others, is easy to use and has a vast library of options to rent or buy. They receive their books from over 18,000 independent textbook distributors, guaranteeing they’ll have whatever you need to write that essay due Friday! With a 30 day money back guarantee you can’t go wrong!
AbeBooks:
AbeBooks is a little different from these sites because it expands beyond textbooks, and they’re all for sale to purchase there is no renting option. However, the prices are still discounted and if you’re studying within the Humanities department this site will become your new best friend. It offers a variety of fine art, special editions, academic journals for research essays, classic literature, reference books, sparknotes, and international editions! Any option you need, AbeBooks will have.
eCampus:
eCampus is very similar to Chegg, and provides the same level of professional service and savings. The website claims it can save students up to 90% on textbook prices and provides a 25 day hassle free return policy. Like most of these options, you can rent, buy, or sell your books through this site!
College is expensive enough, don’t add more stress to your already busy life by figuring out how to pay for textbooks. Use one of these widely well reviewed websites to help you save as much as you can, and maybe even make a little money in the process.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
