College Textbooks: Seven Tips to Save Big

Going to college can be very expensive. Of course, one of the most painful expenses is paying for textbooks. In fact, the Center for American Progress estimates that students spend an average of $900 a year on textbooks.

While your federal loans and grants may cover the cost of books, disbursements usually aren't made until after the beginning of the semester. Oftentimes, students are forced to fork out the cash to pay for books upfront before classes begin. However, by following these simple guidelines, students can cut their textbook expenses by hundreds of dollars.

Talk to your professor. The first and most important place to start is with your professor. With any luck, you may find that a textbook isn't even necessary. How is this possible? Most schools require an official textbook to be declared for each class. Professors sometimes rely strictly on their lectures to relay knowledge with the textbook being used merely as supplemental reading.

Buy used. If you discover that a textbook will be necessary for the course, the search begins to find a bargain and get the best deal. The most logical solution is purchasing a used book. Start by checking out the campus community bulletin boards. Students often post lists of books that they have used and no longer need for discounted prices. The internet is also a great resource. Web sites like dealoz.com allow students to search for books and compare the prices of hundreds of sites simultaneously. Used textbooks can often be purchased at your college bookstore. However, this should be the last place to check for a used book since pre-owned books are usually only slightly lower than the over-priced new ones.

Buy an older edition. Textbooks change very little between editions. Check with you professor to see if they approve of students using older editions of the textbook. Older, outdated editions can often be purchased for as little as $5-$10 online.

Rent a book. Renting a textbook is also an option. Some colleges have a textbook rental program. Students simply pay the rental charge and return the textbook at the conclusion of the course or semester. If your school does not have a rental program, many websites are available that offer a similar service. Sites like chegg.com and bookrenter.com are among the most well-known.

Borrow a book. Another option would be to borrow a book from friend or fellow student who has already taken the class. You can simply agree to return the book to them at the end of the course.

Share a book. If you know someone who is planning to take the same class, you may suggest sharing a book. Sharing a textbook can have its benefits. However, it may become difficult to coordinate trading-off the book for after school assignments.

Sell you books. While you may have saved a lot of money following these guidelines so far, you still have the ability to recoup some of your money by selling your textbooks to another student. The trick is to sell them as soon as possible. Once the next editions roll of the press or the school decides to change textbooks, yours may become practically worthless. First, find out how much other students are charging for similar books. You can generate a quick sale by pricing your books lower than other students.

Purchasing textbooks can be a major financial headache. Fortunately, these guidelines offer a solution to reaching a cost-effective alternative to purchasing new books.