Saving Money on College Textbooks

As the cost of attending college increases, so does the cost of textbooks. Textbooks can cost as much as half the tuition costs for college classes, sometimes even more, totaling hundreds of dollars per semester.

I tried to warn him.

My son is starting college in a couple of weeks. He is staying home and attending school close by, and, since he has a scholarship that pays for his tuition, I told him that he just needed to work some this summer to pay for gas for his car and for his textbooks. Having recently completed my A.A. degree, I'm familiar with just how much textbooks can cost; I tried to tell him that they were going to be expensive. I've had to buy books that totaled over $200 for one class. I think he may have thought that scenarios such as this were the exception rather than the rule. He didn't work much this summer, though I continued to pressure him. Last weekend he logged into the school's bookstore website to see how much his textbooks actually would cost. $423.38. He was shocked. "How? How can they do that?" he demanded. "Told ya so," I told him, "But don't panic, yet. I have some ideas."

Get the ISBN numbers.

The first step in saving money on textbooks is to make absolutely sure you know which books you need. Is it The Essentials of Psychology or Essential Psychology? The only way to be 100% sure is to get the ISBN number from the book you need. Books are assigned a unique identification number by the publisher, making them very easy to locate in bookstores, libraries, and on the internet. The ISBN number is important so that you can make sure you have the right edition of the required book. There may be huge differences between the third and fourth editions, and if you buy the wrong one, you may be lost on the first day of classes before you ever get started.

You can get the ISBN number by calling the college bookstore on campus (if they are willing to give them out), by going to the bookstore and writing them down (probably the best option), or by calling the departmental offices of your respective classes. Keep in mind that the required books for each class can vary by the location of the campus. In other words, Psychology 101 at the college's main campus may require a different textbook than Psychology 101 at a satellite campus. This is not always the case, but check with the campus where your classes are located.

Used books.

If you have grants or scholarships that require you to buy your books at the campus bookstore, check for used books before buying them new. Many used books have hardly any wear at all, though some students swear by already highlighted, underlined, and circled passages in old, worn books as being a study guide of sorts. Used books from the bookstore can still save you 20%-30% off the cost of new, putting more of that financial aid money into your pocket.

Organizations on campus.

Some schools may have programs to help disadvantaged students, minorities, single parents, or other non-traditional students. At St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Florida, "Women on the Way" does just that. Originally formed to help women who were coming back to college to support their families, now the program helps all kinds of non-traditional students. Women on the Way provides textbooks for qualifying students to borrow, then return at the end of the term.

Bulletin Boards.

While you are on campus getting the ISBN numbers, check the bulletin boards. Bulletin boards outside of the bookstore, in or near the administration building, or in the departments of your respective classes may produce leads for discount books. Students sometimes sell their books to other students instead of back to the bookstore because they can get a higher return. This is only true when the department chooses to reuse the same book for subsequent terms. (Most schools do this for at least a few terms in a row.) Act quickly, though, most students just sell their books back to the bookstore, so the supply may be limited.

Friends.

Check with your friends during the term to see what classes they're taking. If you each have classes the other will need, consider alternating and trading books the following term. This can get tricky if your book is worth more than theirs, so think it through and strike a deal that is fair for everyone. Also, check with the department or bookstore to be sure the same books will be used the following term.

Online.

Some of the best deals on college textbooks are available online. Websites like Half.com, Ebay, and Amazon.com offer excellent deals on textbooks. Used books can be found sometimes for pennies on the dollar and new books for as little as half the cost at the bookstore. By searching the ISBN number, you can be sure that you will find the book you need. As always, be sure to look for the right edition before purchasing (the correct ISBN number will guarantee this) and take into account shipping charges as well.

I'm not sure what, if anything we can do about the rising cost of college textbooks, but we at least should keep in mind that, when we've reached the end of our college career, the information we've spent all those dollars on is truly invaluable.