Pay Less At College Bookstores With Tips From Follett Corporation

By Megan Weyrauch on August 27, 2015

Buying your textbooks this semester doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.

Follett Corporation, a trusted partner to pre-K and K-12 schools, districts and college campuses has taken care of the critical details making it easier for schools to run, teachers to teach and students to learn for more than 140 years. Higher education’s largest campus retailer and a hub for school spirit and community, Follett offered up some little known tips in a recent press release for how you can save in your campus bookstore this semester.

Managing more than 1,200 college bookstores, Follett offers the following tips for buying textbooks.

Image by Mikhail Pavstyuk via Unsplash

Tip One: According to the release, many bookstores offer to pay you the difference between buying a book online and buying it at the bookstore; if you buy a book and find it elsewhere at a lower price, you can see if your bookstore has a low-price guarantee or price-match program that offers compensation for the difference in price between a new, used or rented book found elsewhere.

Tip Two: Financial aid money can be used to buy books and supplies; read the fine print of your grants!

Tip Three: Don’t forget to check the school library for the book you need; copies are not always available but you can’t beat free.

According to John C. Hoffman, vice president of Business Intelligence at Follett’s Higher Education Group, the best way to acquire textbooks and course materials is to weigh the pros and cons of all your options.

Here are some tips from Follett to help you weigh your options.

Buy your textbooks new. If you can afford to, buy your textbooks new, especially if you plan on keeping the book forever. Primary textbooks within your field of study that you’ll consistently reference, mark-up and keep after college ends are good books to buy new.

If the book is a first edition, Follett suggests used copies will be hard to find, and if the content of your book is likely to change over time, you should consider other options.

Buy your textbooks used. Avoid paying full price for new books and buy used textbooks, which sell for roughly 25 percent less. Then, either keep them or sell them back after the semester ends to recoup some of the cost for even more savings.

Used textbooks are cheaper but may include notes and highlights from previous owners. In addition, not all used textbooks come with required supplemental materials, such as online application passcodes, DVDs or worksheets.

Image by Glen Noble via Unsplash

Rent your textbooks. Save 35 percent to 50 percent off the retail price of your textbooks by renting them. Though renting is great for students on a budget and represents some major savings, you have to return your books on or before a set date, which is usually tied to finals week.

In addition, some companies do not allow highlighting or making notes in rented books and late fees could apply if not returned on time. You may be able to buy the rented book but your total out-of-pocket cost may be higher than if you had just initially purchased the book used.

Buy the license for digital books. Opt for digital course materials and access your textbooks online, which can save you from 40 to 60 percent compared to buying the book new. Accessing your textbooks digitally means you save time and money and can access the content anywhere, anytime.

According to the press release, digital readers like BryteWave from Follett have rolled textbooks and study tools into one product, giving students the ability to highlight, take notes, and organize notes using your existing laptop, tablet, or phone.

This option is best when you’re always on the go and accessing your education from multiple locations.

Explore custom programs. Find more savings by asking your dean, admissions officer or local campus store manager what custom programs your institution may have in place.

A lot of schools today offer the option of including the cost of required materials directly in tuition and fees, which puts materials in your hands for the first day of class at deeper discounts than what you’ll find online.

Build a professional library. Defaulting to the lowest cost could cost you more in the end. Try mixing types and formats of textbooks to match your class requirements to your immediate and longer term plans for the book. Buy textbooks new when you want to keep them forever or rent books you’ll only use for the semester.

The following chart illustrates the average potential savings you can realize when in the market for a $100 textbook, based on each of the above options.

Table

Find information on Follett’s book-buying options here, and learn more about Follett Higher Education Group on their website.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

College Textbooks Listings

Microbiology

Authors: Gerard J. Tortora, Gerard J Tortora, Berdell R....

ISBN: 0321767381

ISBN13: 9780321767387

Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness

Authors: Wener W.K. Hoeger, Sharon A. Hoeger

ISBN: 1111990018

ISBN13: 9781111990015

Guyland

Authors: Michael Kimmel, Michael S Kimmel

ISBN: 0060831359

ISBN13: 9780060831356

See all College Textbooks Listings

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format