10 Tips to Save on College Textbooks

Photo by Amin Tabrizi

Textbook prices have vastly outpaced inflation in the past two decades, according to the Government Accountability Office. Students are definitely feeling the affects of these price increases. However, there are strategies to keeping the cost of books as low as possible.

Most students already know a few tricks of the trade. For example, it's common knowledge textbooks from the college bookstore cost more than through Amazon, eBay and Half.com. Here are 10 lesser-known ways to drastically cut your textbook expenses.

1. Purchase the International Edition
International editions and U.S. editions are eerily similar, except for their prices. The international edition is usually significantly cheaper than the U.S. edition. Any differences often are cosmetic, while the content is identical. Buy international editions at AbeBooks.com or buy and sell them through InternationalEditionTextbooks.com.

2. Rent Instead of Buy
You can save up to 75 percent on textbook rentals and shipping often is free. You'll only pay a fraction of the cost and can return it at the end of the rental period. Your rental period doesn't start until the book is delivered. You also have the option to buy your rental books if you decide to keep the book. You also may extend your rental period if you need the book longer than originally anticipated. Rental companies often will send out a reminder your due date, so you don't get charged an extra late fee. Check out BookRenter.com.

3. View Advertising
Freeload Press is an innovator in cheap reading. They may be able to provide you with some of your textbooks at no charge, if you're willing to put up with a bit of advertising. You'll fill out a short survey before downloading the textbook. The textbooks contain advertisements throughout to help cover the cost. The publishers still get paid and you get your textbook at no cost. Freeload Press is still fairly new and the current selection of textbooks is limited, but it's worth checking out.

4. Purchase Electronic Textbooks
Students who do most of their work on a laptop don't usually mind e-textbooks that can cut your cost by 50 percent. Electronic versions of textbooks are available from such sites as  CourseMart or iChapters.com.

If you're taking classes that require classic literature, you may not need to pay at all. If the book's copyright has expired, you can download them from sites like Bartleby or Planet eBook for free. 

5. Borrow a Sample Copy
In order to get their textbooks in circulation, publishers give professors several copies of their books. One of two things usually happens to these copies: They're donated to the library or sit in the professor's office until a new edition comes out. There's a decent chance your professor has a sample copy lying unused in their office. If they don't, ask other professors in the department. While the success of this method will depend greatly on the professor, it costs nothing to ask to borrow a sample copy.

6. Use the Library
While it may seem like an inconvenience to not have the textbook 24/7, you should consider how much you'll really use it. Chances are you'll use it the most right before a midterm, the final and when papers are due.

7. Share Books
If you have a friend in the class, ask if they'd be willing to share the book and split the cost. Make sure it's someone you trust to not disappear with the book for weeks on end. You could also form a study group with each person splitting the cost of the book. Make sure each member gets the material by scanning pages into your computer and distributing them to your study mates. When it comes time for an exam or a paper, you'll all have the support of the group to ensure you're well-prepared.

8. Will You Need the Book?
Why do professors put books in the syllabus they rarely, if ever, use? There's something you can do about this ugly habit. Ask former students or Teaching Assistants if the textbook is necessary. Go through the class schedule to see if you'll be using it or if you'll be tested over the material. Most students don't consider not buying textbooks on the course list, but college is supposed to teach you to be a critical thinker, so apply your knowledge to something that will benefit your wallet now.

9. Buy Older Editions
Always check with your professor before purchasing an older edition, but doing so can mean the difference between $100 and $10. That's a valuable $90 you could spend on something more important, like going out on Friday night. Often, the older edition isn't much different and some professors will tell you what the differences are and how to get around them. It never hurts to ask.

10. Fight for Change
Campaigns have sprung up in recent years to make textbooks affordable. A student-interest group is working with publishers to try and change textbook pricing. For more information about this effort and how to get involved, go to StudentPirgs.org. The group suggests students talk to faculty about trying to negotiate lower prices. PIRG noted UCLA's math department negotiated a 20-percent price-cut with a publisher for a popular calculus book.


Brittany Sarconi is a student at the University of Northern Colorado where she is working on a B.A. in Journalism. She loves to shop but, like most college students, Brittany is trying to live a Champagne lifestyle on a beer budget. When she's not studying, shopping or writing blogs, Brittany loves to work out.