For Rent

North Lake College students may have more money in their pockets next semester thanks to textbook retailers across the country, which are offering rental programs.

After the success of Follett Higher Education Group’s pilot program (which included the University of North Texas and the University of Texas at Arlington), the retailer announced the expansion of their renting service starting fall 2010. FHEG manages more than 800 stores across the country, including the NLC store.

“The pilot had very little promotion and yet the response was really positive,” said Elio DiStaola, director of public & campus relations at FHEG. “This motivated Follett to expand the program nationwide.”

Follett’s rental program will be available in store and online, including e-commerce with in-store pick-up. It will also offer multiple forms of payment, including financial aid and campus cards for a no-hassle purchase, said DiStaola. He added that the program will also allow for the normal wear and tear associated with coursework, including freedom to highlight and take notes.

“The rental was very successful at schools like UNT, and it will probably be as successful here,” said NLC bookstore manager Andrea Patrick. She added that thanks to the pilot program, any possible issues should be resolved before the program starts at NLC.
Other retailers that are adopting the rental service include Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, McGraw-Hill and Cengage Learning.

 There are also specialized Web sites that offer rental service like chegg.com, campusbookrentals.com and bookrenter.com. However, online renters are stricter on their leasing policies. Most sites will charge a considerable fee for books postmarked after the due date, and books have to be returned in good condition.

“I think that renting is a great idea because it would save me a lot of money,” said Tyler VanWright, a NLC student.

eBooks are another option for students, via download or by purchasing the eBook kit at a bookstore. There are different eBook formats, so students need to make sure they are getting the right one before purchasing.

Follett carries over 1,000 textbook titles at their CafeScribe Web site, and sites like ebooks.com and vitalsource.com also carry a wide selection of eBooks. In an effort to avoid reselling and piracy, most e-books can only be installed on up to two machines, can’t be printed and some digital files expire after a certain period. 

Renting textbooks and purchasing e-books can save students almost 50 percent off the regular price. With a recovering economy and the rising cost of education, these affordable options should be good news for college students everywhere.
 

Compare

Nations of Nations Volume II

eBook (vitalsource.com): $54.50

Rental (130 days) (campusbookrentals.com): $54.51

Follett Bookstore (new): $113.80

Follett Bookstore (used): $88.75