NEWS
Students will be able to rent books at cheaper prices through the bookstore next fall and return them at the end of the semester.
The Follett High Education Group – which manages 850 college bookstores, including Chapman’s – is introducing the rent program after a year-long test run at about a dozen college campuses across the U.S. The pilot program was funded by $10 million in grants, laid out in 2009’s Higher Education Opportunity Act.
“This is what the future holds for textbooks,” said Chapman bookstore manager Robear Mulder.
On average, renting a textbook through “Rent-A-Text” will cost about half of what it would to buy a new copy from the bookstore. Students can rent new or used books and also have the option to purchase the rented book at the end of the semester.
Rentals, however, are only available to students 18 years or older with a valid credit card and state ID or driver’s license. Students under 18 can have their parents rent textbooks, but the parents must also be present during finals week when the books are returned.
The “Rent-A-Text” option will allow students to find their textbooks either in-store or online. Though books can only be picked up in-store, the website provides a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions and information about the renting process.
“[The pilot program] worked out great,” Mulder said. “There were a couple of bugs but I think about 90 percent of students were happy with the results.”
College students spend about $700 to $1,100 a year on textbooks – the largest college expense after tuition and housing, according to a 2009 article in the New York Times.
“I’ve never bought a book from the bookstore,” senior biology major Alyson Hold said. “I buy them all online because they are cheaper.”
Freshman graphic design major Susanna Davidov purchased all of her textbooks from Chapman’s bookstore. She spent more than $300 each semester, not including the cost of required art materials. When the semester ends, she keeps the books for her major and sells other textbooks to friends.
“I sold my Pre-Calc book for way less than I bought it,” she said. “It was to a friend so I felt bad overcharging.”
This fall, Davidov plans on using “Rent-A-Text” to order her books.
“Books were getting so expensive that I didn’t buy many of them this semester,” she said.
In addition to rented books, Chapman is taking the initiative to “go green” and inviting graduating students to rent graduation regalia. The rented gowns will cost the same as previous years, but will be more eco-friendly.
“Most graduation gowns become Halloween costumes and then go to a landfill,” Mulder said.
Chapman’s gown vendor, Herff Jones, practices recycling and re-use by cleaning gowns with an environmentally-friendly solvent and using recyclable packaging to ship student orders.
“We’re making a conscious effort to go green,” Mulder said. “We hope it brings more students to rent and saves them money.”
Contact this reporter: katelyn.geary@thepantheronline.com
