Financial pressure is the #1 reason for college dropout and is the #1 fear for many young people who aspire to obtain a college degree. In addition to tuition expenses, college students are required to purchase textbooks sometimes with access codes to special platforms. These books can range in prices. According to the College Board, during the 2018-2019 academic year, students spent an average of $1,240-$1,440 on textbooks (Lexington Law, 2021). Note that over the years, there has been a slight increase in prices due to inflation. However, there are things you can do to cut down on college book expenses such as renting books and comparison shopping for the best deals.
Many students are unaware of the library being an option for them to get their books. The library can have copies of the textbooks you need for your classes and give you the option of checking out the books for a semester. Cinthya Ramirez, a college graduate discovered this while she was attending college. “Every semester before purchasing any books, I would check my school’s library portal to search for books I needed. Luckily, I was able to rent some of my books and cut down my book expenses.” Do not feel restricted to only checking at your school’s library. Check out libraries near you. Remember you would not have to pay anything for checking out books from a library.
Of course, the library is limited in the number of copies they have available. The first person to get the book will be the lucky saver. However, do not feel that your options to save have stopped. You can also comparison shop. Go online and search the various sellers you can obtain your book from. Lizbeth Marquez, a college student, says she frequently uses sites such as Thriftbooks.com to purchase used books and has had instances where she finds free PDF versions of her books.
College books are an additional cost to students. Lexington Law states how, “40 percent of students chose not to purchase at least one of their assigned textbooks due to its high cost (DeAmelio-Rafferty, 2018).” Do not limit your learning because you cannot purchase your textbooks. Consider these options and have a savings plan to help cover your books’ costs.
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