Jan 17, 2008 5:12 pm US/Pacific
Save With Dave: Online School Textbook Rental
(CBS13)
The average full-time college student spends about nine-hundred dollars a year on textbooks. But some new on-line rental programs that are popping up, could cut that number in half.
"I bought 1,2,3,4,5,6 books and it cost over $380," said Lindsey Sondag, student.
Lindsey Sondag isn't done buying books yet. The psychology major at Sac State says it puts a strain on her already tight budget. The idea of renting instead of buying is appealing.
"I think it would help big time because I'm only going to keep two of these books and the others I don't need after this semester," said Lindsay.
These two websites: Chegg.com and bookrenter.com let students rent textbooks. Millions of books are available. The sites say students can save up to 80 percent. For instance, a $200 dollar chemistry book in a college bookstore could be rented from one of these websites for under $40. That's good news for this freshman.
"It would be better than buying your books, most of the books here you only use three or four times a semester so you don't get your money's worth," said Jesus Hermosillo, student.
But there are some drawbacks, such as shipping fees, charges for excessive markings and up to a week to arrive. Still, it's a huge savings that most students are looking for.
"We're already paying so much for tuition and then we have to put out a lot more for books too," said Mali Lottaoian, student.
Make sure you carefully read the website's policyies on renting, such as how long you can rent the books for.
If Lindsay rented all her books this semester, she'd save $304.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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