UTC senior Roland Chapman has spent as much as $300 a semester on textbooks, so when given the chance to rent some books, he took it.
“I found out last semester that you can rent textbooks,” he said. “I would definitely rent one rather than buy one, mainly because some teachers really don’t use the text book and the book store gives you nothing in sell-back value.”
Officials with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga said that next fall there are an array of changes happening at the school — from capital projects to changes in the meal plan.
Although the book rental program has been going on since last fall, leaders said renting books is an emerging trend.
According to RentScouter, a textbook rental, buying and selling price comparisons website, a new survey conducted by the Student Monitor says text book rental has doubled since last year.
More than a third of undergraduates surveyed said they expect to rent at least one book next semester, if not all of them.
Chattanooga State Community College also has textbook rental options.
Cost savings
Officials with Barnes and Noble — the company that UTC contracts with — advertise that renting textbooks can provide 50 percent savings.
According to a RentScouter, the average student saved $132 when renting some books.
“Instead of paying $50 to buy the book, I only spent $30 to rent and I gave it back at the end of the semester,” Chapman said.
Barnes and Noble spokeswoman Karen Discala said that the goal is to provide options and help students save money.
According to CollegeBoard.com, the average for books and supplies at a four-year public college is $1,137.
“We saw there was an interest out there,” Discala said. “We looked at what was available and saw there was a need to make something a little more student-focused. If you rent from a campus bookstore, you know you are getting the right book.”
Expanding rental services
Discala said that about 300 of the 630 bookstores nationwide that Barnes and Noble works with took advantage of the rental programs.
“This coming fall we expect to have 600,” she said. “We are going to be expanding the number of titles by better than 25 percent.”
Students can rent books online or at the bookstore and can highlight in them, as well.
Manager of UTC’s bookstore Kellie Wright said the rental program has been very successful, and Chapman said the only downside to renting comes if a student must turn in the book before the final exam.
“The bookstore takes it back at the end of the semester,” he said, which is a pro.
