Getting Textbooks for Cheap - Cutting College Costs

The cost of tuition at private and public universities alike has been rising, on average, must faster than the rate of inflation. Beyond the expense of tuition most students must pay either for a dorm on campus or an apartment off campus. Both options up the cost off attending college. And let's not forget food, after all, students need to eat too.

So after all of these expenses, where do you find the money to buy textbooks and supplies? Here are a couple of tips on keeping textbook costs low.

1) Buy used online.

Textbooks are like cars, they lose value the minute you purchase them. Even if the book stays on your shelf all semester and is in immaculate condition, it still loses resale value. Use websites like Half.com, Amazon, and Abe Books to find the best deals on gently used textbooks.

2) Borrow the book.

Make an arrangement with a classmate to borrow their book for the reading and homework, and maybe even study together. Of course borrowing from a friend doesn't help much if you need the book in class. Many college libraries will have college textbook section. Borrow the book from the library and really keep your costs low.

3) Get the online version.

Many textbooks now have an online version that you can purchase at a discounted price. This allows you to cart around your books anywhere you can take your laptop. In theory you could carry around only your laptop and have all the textbooks you needed.

4) Buy an older version.

Some older version can be bought for pennies, and really are not that different from the newest version. Check with your professor to make sure that earlier versions will serve the same purpose. In most cases, you'll be fine using an earlier version.

5) Sell last years textbooks.

If you spent a considerable amount of money on textbooks last year, consider selling them now to pay for this year's books. True, you may not get back what you paid for them, but you'll be spending less "new" money for this year's textbooks.

My last tip has saved me hundreds of dollars. Ask the professor if you really need the book at all. Many times there is a required text for a particular class because the majority of professors teaching that class use it. Your professor may be one of the few that simply doesn't use the text. Your professor may prefer to give out hand-outs from another textbook instead of using the same text everyone else does. You can't know unless you ask.