Saving Money on Textbooks

Required textbooks and lab supplies can cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to thousands per semester depending on the books and where they are purchased. Campus bookstores usually offer the best selection, easy returns and exchanges, and the convenience of buying books that were ordered directly by the professors who are teaching the classes, but it’s true that students pay a premium for this convenience and service. A number of online options are available and although students can save anywhere from 25-85 percent on the cost of textbooks from these sites, they need to be aware of common problems students encounter when buying online.

Sites like Textbooks.com, Bigwords.com, and of course Amazon.com do a good job of providing the most commonly used college textbooks, but most students will not be able to buy all of their books from only one site. Students who want to save money by buying online need to shop around a lot and make absolutely sure they are buying the correct books and editions for their classes. To avoid common snags students should:

 Make sure they are ordering the correct book by the correct author(s)

Confirm the edition numberConfirm the ISBN, or International Standard Book Number. This is a unique 10 to 13 digit number usually found on the barcode on the back of the book.

Confirm that the book is in the correct language. Many books have several editions in several languages.

Only buy from a reputable site and understand the return or exchange policy before buying.

Many campuses also have textbook swap meets or exchanges or may offer the book on reserve in the library. Although I’m a big fan of students getting whatever they can for low or no cost, freshmen especially need to start their first semester with all of the correct books for all of their classes in hand. After the first semester, they can decide if they prefer to buy on campus, online, or at an exchange.