Students look to handle high cost of textbooks

With the cost of college textbooks continuing to rise, students have started to explore alternative methods to find the course material.
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The price of textbooks have dramatically increased over the years, and students have started to turn to more affordable options like Chegg, Amazon and BookSmart.

According to the College Investor, students will spend $1,200 per year on textbooks and that number is continuing to rise. Prices have risen 889 percent over the last 30 years, which beats out how much students pay for tuition.

NBC news reported that since 2006, the cost of college textbooks has increased by 75 percent.

According to the College Board, one textbook may cost between $200 and $400. It recommends students budget about $1,200.

However, for many students, coming up with this money for textbooks is difficult.

Pamela Tavarez, a senior majoring in communication, said textbooks are expensive and she will not spend money on a book until she knows it is absolutely necessary for the course.

“I usually rent my books from Chegg or Amazon because it is the cheaper option,” Tavarez said. “The price of books has gone up, and every year they come out with a ‘new edition’ which becomes annoying, because most of the time the library will not have that book.”

Tavarez said if she could give any advice to students, it would be to always compare prices and to not to be scared to get books from different sites.

“Also, before renting or buying, check if the library has a free online PDF for it or at least an earlier edition that could be used,” Tavarez said. “As a last resort, make friends and maybe share the textbook and could always make free copies at the library.”

Nicholas Faeth, a junior majoring in communication, does not think the textbooks on campus are as expensive as other campuses.

“I normally pay for the textbook online then go to the bookstore and pick it up instead of waiting in the long lines,” Faeth said. “They also have the option to rent a hard copy or digitally.”

Dixie Montano, sophomore majoring in communication, said that in her experience, used and rented textbooks have been, on average, $25-$100.

“I pay for my books out of pocket,” Montano said. “So, I always go for the cheapest option, or even sometimes see if I actually need the book and can work around not getting it just to save some money.”

Montano said it is stressful to spend that kind of money on books only needed for a couple of months. She said other options are Amazon or bookstores in the area around campus.

Meshari Alaboudi, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, said textbooks are expensive on campus.

“I use online books such as a PDF,” Alaboudi said. “I sometimes check out BookHolders to see their prices or I use Chegg.”

Alaboudi said he always tries looking for the cheapest option when buying books. He said his advice to other students would be to ask friends who have already taken the class for their book, or to share with someone and make copies at the library.

“It’s a way of survival,” Alaboudi said.