College textbooks can be a source of sticker shock, with price tags for a single book sometimes exceeding $100. Most colleges haven't adopted book rental, but students still can find ways to trim their textbook bills. Here are some tips for students facing big back-to-school book bills:
1. Show up early at the on-campus bookstore. This bookstore is the easiest and quickest route to obtaining the books you need, but it also can be the most expensive. You may be able to save a little bit of money by arriving at the store as soon as you get your list of required books and snatching up used copies.
2. Do some sleuthing. Here's another way to use your time at your on-campus bookstore: Jot down ISBN numbers and book prices (for both new and used), then use that information to comparison shop on the Internet. Check prices on the Web sites of Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, eBay, Varsity Books and eFollet and of comparison shopping sites such as bestbookbuys.com or even foreign sites.
3. Seek out a little help from your friends. Do you know or have opportunities to meet other students who share your major? If so, try to form a loose confederation of book sharers, buyers and sellers who charge fair prices.
4. Get thee to the library. It's common for colleges to set aside copies of textbooks at the library, where they can be used for free. This can backfire on you, though, if the book you need isn't available when you need it.
5. Older editions may not be all that different. Has a new edition just been released for one of the textbooks on your list? If so, compare it carefully with the last edition. The changes may be so minor that you won't need to pay top dollar for the newer version.
6. Plan for a cheap semester. If it fits your degree program, you can take literature classes and buy the classics in used paperback form, either at a bargain-basement used book store or online.
7. Consider free downloads. Many classics of literature and a vast array of other books can be downloaded for free at Web sites such as Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.net)
8. "Subscribe" to your books. Some textbook publishers have started making books available online and accessible for a set period of time on a subscription basis. Check out SafariX Textbooks Online (www.safarix.com) and Aplia (www.aplia.com) for examples of what's available.
9. Figure out your funding. Scholarships may be available to help defray or cover the costs of textbooks. In addition, you can buy books with tax-free distributions from qualified education savings plans, such as a Coverdell Education Savings Account or a 529 Savings Plan.
10. Strategize before you sell your books. The on-campus bookstore will give you pennies on the dollar, so sell within that network of students you helped establish, or do so online through sites such as eBay, Amazon.com or eCampus.com.
