College is expensive and textbook costs are at an all-time high. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for college textbooks increased by 7% between 2020 and 2023.
Before heading to the campus bookstore to purchase textbooks here are a few ideas on how you may be able to find them at a lower cost.
When purchasing textbooks you need the ISBN number, this is the International Standard Book Number. Every published book has an ISBN number, you will reference the number to ensure you are purchasing the correct book.
Check the Campus Bookstore
Visit the campus bookstore to find out how much the books you need will cost, in years past campus bookstores were almost always more expensive, but due to competition some have adjusted their business to better meet student’s needs. They may offer rentals, buyback programs, secondhand books and student discounts. Once you have the pricing information shop around to see if you can get a better price somewhere else.
If you do purchase from the campus bookstore, find out what their return policy is, some books come wrapped in plastic and if you remove the plastic, it may prevent you from receiving a refund, some stores may allow returns for a limited time period. Be sure you know the policy that way if you get to class on the first day and find out you don’t need the book you can return it.
Talk to the Professor
Once you receive your syllabus, contact the professor or instructor before class starts to find out if you really need to buy everything on the list. Some professors are encouraged to put material in their syllabus even if students aren’t required to read it. You can also ask if an older version is acceptable. New textbooks are the most expensive and if you can purchase an older version instead you will save money.
Ask About Student Discounts
No matter where you are shopping for books ask about student discounts. Many bookstores offer discounts to students and other places, even thrift stores may do the same.
Used Bookstores and Thrift Shops
Check used bookstores and thrift shops, often you can find used textbooks there. Goodwill has a selection of books and if you have one located near your campus you stand a better chance of finding used textbooks. Goodwill also has a bookstore, you can shop in person if you have one near you, or online. https://www.goodwillbooks.com/
Google It
Google the title of the book + ISBN number + “PDF version” you may be able to find a free e-version of the book.
Check for Grants
There are grants available to qualifying students that help with the cost of textbooks. Textbook Grants, is one resource to investigate, they help low-income students get the books they need.
https://www.textbookgrants.org/
Check for Scholarships
This site offers a list of available textbook scholarships. https://www.directtextbook.com/articles/409/textbook-scholarships
Borrow
Talk to the professor, they may have copies that they lend to students, also check with the campus library and the local public library which may carry copies of the books you need.
Talk to Classmates & Check Bulletin Boards
Talk to upperclassmen who took the same class with the same professor, they may have books to lend, rent or sell. You can also find out how often they used the textbooks and if they felt it was necessary for the class. If you find the book was not used at all or used just once or twice you can look for other ways to get that information. If the campus has bulletin boards, check those for book postings and post what books you are looking for along with your contact information. Some college campuses have book exchange groups check to see if yours does.
Open Textbook Library
If your collage is part of the Open Education Network, you can access textbooks online.
The textbooks are free, openly licensed, and complete, students have full access to the entire text. These resources include data collection tools, slide decks, instructional support, and textbooks.
https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks
Share
You can also ask the professor if you can share a copy with another student, if you have a friend, roommate or schoolmate who is willing to split the cost you can both save money.
Look For Free eBooks
You may be able to get some textbooks for free or at a reduced price by downloading eBooks. Some classes assign historical or classic texts, which you might be able to find for free. Visit Project Gutenberg, https://www.gutenberg.org/ which offers more out-of-copyright books free. Libby and Hoopla both offer eBooks, you just need a library card to check them out. Online books is also free, https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ as is Open Book Project, https://openbookproject.net/
Online Resources
Check Facebook Marketplace, online college message boards and other sites where people may be selling used textbooks. Do be careful, be sure the seller is legitimate, and if you meet them in person choose a public place and take someone with you.
Amazon
Amazon sells new and used textbooks. You can buy the physical copy, an eBook or a Kindle version.
Chegg
Chegg sells and rents textbooks, they also buy used textbooks.
eBooks.com
eBooks.com sells eBooks in multiple electronic formats in all categories. Users can download books to computers, dedicated eBook devices, and mobile phones and the software required is free. Users can also read books online, from any computer, anywhere, without downloading or installing anything.
Textbooks.com
They have millions of books in their warehouse, they carry new and used textbooks, and eBooks, they also offer a buyback program and free shipping on qualifying orders.
Bigwords.com
They offer a price comparison tool on their site, they buy, sell, and rent textbooks and other reading material.
Booksrun.com
They buy, sell, and rent books.
Campusbooks.com
The site has a comparison tool that allows you to compare the prices of books across different sites, they buy, sell and rent textbooks.
Cheapest Text Books
They buy, rent and sell textbooks at a reduced cost.
https://www.cheapesttextbooks.com/
eCampus
They buy and sell textbooks for less.
Pearson
Pearson is a subscription service, for a monthly fee, students can access books, audiobooks, and a study portal.
https://www.pearson.com/en-us.html
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