Can You Rent Textbooks? By Tracy Marksman
Having a daughter in college now I was appalled at the prices of her textbooks. You would think they were made of gold and to buy them would and does cost sometimes more than the tuition. And she wants to be a teacher, so there are no medical books or legal books to buy. Even when students use the PAL grants for buying their books, sometimes that doesn't cover the price of the books. Nowadays when you go online you will come across businesses that will rent text books to you. This will cut down the cost of college books by half or so they state. But before making that decision to rent books online, first figure out just what books will be needed, and if they are available online. Many companies that are renting online text books do not charge shipping and handling which is very good because books are heavy. They will also pay for the return of the books once the student is done with them; as long as they are in good condition. Most of these companies have a large warehouse full of every book one would need, so some will boast they have every book you will need. They also have a policy that a student can actually make a bit of money when returning their rented books. Go to a college book store and pay two hundred dollars for a book and then try and get at least half of that back at the end of the semester, not going to happen. You might get thirty dollars for it, if that. One nice thing about renting books online is most companies have a thirty day guarantee, if the student drops the class of it might be canceled, the student can get their money back from renting the book. Once thing and it is probably the most important item is the student must take care of the rented books. They must send them back in as good as shape as when they got them or sometimes they might be rejected and the student will not get their money back. Or the company might accept the books back, but will charge the student for the damage. When ordering the text books, be sure you have a clear understanding at what books are required, get the exact name, volume and author to be sure to get the right rental. A real great way to be sure you are getting the right book is to get the ISBN number, or the bar code of the book that will insure the proper book is being sent. Textbooks