Textbook Rental
If you want to rent textbooks, check out our list of sources at the end of this article.
The need for students to save money on college textbooks has never been greater. Thankfully, new methods of searching for and finding deals on cheap textbooks online are being offered and one of the latest, and most exciting for some, is the opportunity to rent textbooks instead of buying them.
As with any solution, there are benefits as well as disadvantages which must be considered by each textbook buyer. If you simply like the idea of owning rather than renting, or of being able to leverage your overall cost of textbooks by selling them back when you are finished, renting may not be for you.
On the other hand, renting textbooks offers a number of advantages:
Save Money
By renting rather than buying textbooks, you can save up to 75% or more. While a buyback program may appeal to the student who hopes to recoup part of his original investment when buying, the amount offered when trying to sell textbooks to the college bookstore may be rather disappointing. Also, remember books need to be shipped. Often book renting companies will offer free shipping.
Save Time
Most university or college students are short on time as well as money. By using a book rental program, one can save time and reduce hassles that may be required to find and buy all the books required for your courses.
Save Trees
This one can apply to buying used textbooks as well, but the lifespan of a book that is used multiple times, such as in a book rental program, decreases the amount of resources required to print new textbooks.
The textbook rental business is still fairly new but it is growing rapidly. Just as there are numerous booksellers in the textbook market, so competition is growing among companies that rent textbooks. You may find a program at your school or find several online.
Following are several companies that rent textbooks online:
• eCampus