Don't judge a book by its cover. Instead, save the criticism for the hefty sticker price traditional campus books stores charge for required texts.On a budget? No problem.
With college students shelling out hundreds--sometimes thousands--of dollars on textbooks each year, an alternative is used books stores and online shops like half.com and amazon.com as a viable way for frugal-minded collegians to save a few bucks.
Also, students returning to the halls this fall may find it easier to shop and compare prices for textbooks thanks to a federal law that kicks in July 1 that requires universities to serve up its required book list upon registration.
The law, included as part of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, requires publishers to provide faculty with details about their selected books, including information about previous editions, any substantial revisions and alternative formats.
"Textbooks are a significant part of college costs," says Elsa Magee, acting president of the New York Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). "A report revealed the average college student spends $1,000 a year on books, so it's imperative for students to use all available resources to save money on this expense."
HESC serves up a few tips for budget-savvy students:
Shop Early
Get the book list as soon as you can and note the ISBN (the book's unique identifying number) and the edition required by the professor. Campus bookstores often have used books available at reduced prices, but supplies dwindle as the start of classes gets closer. Some college towns have independent bookstores near campus that carry used textbooks, so check them out, too.
Consider Online Shopping
Most of the large online booksellers like Amazon.com and Half.com carry new and used textbooks at competitive prices that could save you money over purchases made at a traditional bricks-and-mortar store.
Textbook Rentals
Renting books online can save hundreds of dollars over the cost of purchasing and may be a good idea if you don't plan to keep the book after the end of the class. Online companies such as Chegg, Campus Book Rentals, BookRenter and others promise savings up to 90 percent over the retail cost of books.
Click here for the lowdown from HESC.
