Updated 08/01/2021 – One of the most expensive decisions you can make when it comes to returning to school is whether you should buy or rent your textbooks. Textbooks can be quite costly and are only used for one or two courses. Buying them may be an expense you can avoid if you feel comfortable with renting them. If you are interested in checking out your textbook rental options, you have several choices to choose from.
Textbook Rental: Everything You Need to Know
Why Rent Your Textbooks?
Renting your textbooks is something to consider if you are trying to save money on your college expenses. Once you buy your textbooks, they lose value. The fact that they may only be used for one or two years is also something to think about. Renting your textbooks will cost you a fraction of their original price. When you’re done with them, you turn them back in. If you buy your textbooks, you may be faced with trying to sell them when you’re finished with them. If they are no longer being used, you may not be able to sell them.
What to Consider Before Renting Textbooks
There are several things to consider before renting your textbooks. With textbook rental, you turn your books back in when you are finished with them. You should consider whether or not you may need your textbooks as references in the future. If you feel that you may need them later, you will be better off buying them. Textbook rental is an easy way to save money, but you will have to make sure they stay in pristine condition if you want to get your deposit back (if you were asked to pay one). You will also want to take into consideration any late fees or shipping fees that may be charged to you.
Is Renting College Textbooks Worth It?
The bottom line is that if you want the convenience of not having to deal with selling your textbooks when you no longer need them, textbook rental may be worth it. The biggest hassle will be packing them up and shipping them back to where you rented them from. Take the time to weigh your options. In most situations, it is more cost-effective to rent them rather than buy them. Take a close look at what different companies have to offer before you make your decision.
Top 5 College Textbook Rental Programs
WCU Bookstore
Students, you need to keep it local. And there is not better way to do that than to first consider supporting the school that will eventually become your alma mater. The WCU Bookstore offers an excellent selection of every single book you possibly need to complete your semester. In addition, they offer eBooks and FREE eReader softwares for your rentals.
Campus Book Rentals
Campus Book Rentals has been around for quite some time. They have been in the game since 2007, and they have been featured in Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Yahoo and The New York Times. Some highlights for using them include: Free Shipping Both Ways Huge selection of books Treat the book as if it were your own (No highlighting restrictions) Live support Super easy to navigate and search for books. Search by ISBN, Title, Author, etc.
Amazon Textbook Rentals
Hard to find a better price online in comparison. Amazon Textbook Rentals offers free 2-day shipping for Amazon students and Amazon Prime 15-day extension & discounts for extra semesters. eTextbook services for Kindle (This pretty much the dragon slayer) are also standard.
Barnes and Noble Textbook Rental
Barnes and Noble is one of the original Goliath booksellers with an incredible selection of books to buy and to rent. There textbook pricing is very competitive (On par with Amazon…sometimes even cheaper), and you get free return shipping on rentals. Unfortunately, you can expect to pay for shipping when you buy or rent.
Chegg.com
Chegg.com allows users to rent textbooks and qualify for deep discounts of up to 90%. In addition, they offer free e-version access to ‘preferred book’s’ for 7 days while you wait for your shipped textbook to arrive. Finally, if your book rental is over $50, you typically get free shipping.
Before you decide on a textbook rental company, you need to compare prices to ensure that you are getting the best possible deal. Take the time to think about whether or not you will want to keep them after class is over. Textbook rental is a decision you will want to think about. Don’t rush making your decision. The right decision for you can be cost-effective and will allow you to use your textbooks for as long as you need them.
