Textbook rental program eases burden at some schools

Around the country 25 colleges take an approach to textbook requirements that may sound… Around the country 25 colleges take an approach to textbook requirements that may sound appealing to many students who nearly clear out their bank account each semester on books.

Eastern Illinois University, Southeast Missouri State University, seven of the schools in the University of Wisconsin system and several community colleges use university-run textbook rental programs for students.

At Eastern Illinois University, a school of roughly 12,000 students who pay $14,842 for in-state tuition and $26,506 for out-of-state tuition, textbooks are just another fee along with tuition, program fees, service fees and room and board, according to Cheryl West, staff clerk at EIU’s textbook rental services.

“Our rental program is not a matter of eligibility, it is the only program we have available to undergrads,” West said.

When students register for classes, they pay $8.95 per credit hour, which covers all of the books needed for their classes. Fines up to $10 are incurred if a book is returned late or damaged at the end of the semester.

“Kids save hundreds of dollars a semester on books, and the program is very popular with both parents and students,” West said. “After students rent their books, they have the option of buying them at a discounted price, but we really don’t sell a lot of books.”

West said EIU’s budget for textbooks alone comes to nearly $2 million per fiscal year.

Since EIU’s rental program has been in place as long as the University has, the high price tag is a normal part of the budget.

“I can imagine that if a school has not had a rental program since the beginning, it would be very costly to start one up,” West said.

At Pitt, undergraduate students spend an average of $350 to $475 each semester on textbooks depending upon the particular program of study, according to John Burns, Pitt’s textbook department manager.

Burns said each of Pitt’s 4,339 faculty members choose what they feel are the appropriate books to use in their classes, and the book center then specifically orders those materials.

“We make a significant effort to acquire used copies of those materials whenever possible,” Burns said.

Burns added that Pitt does not have a set budget for textbooks because the amount spent from year to year between new and used books can vary greatly.

Burns said he felt that the larger the school, the more costly and difficult it would be to implement a rental program.

“At a school like Pitt, they would probably have to limit rentals to only certain classes or programs,” Burns said.

Kyle Sullivan, a junior majoring in actuarial math, spent $440 this semester on books.

“I can’t really use them for any other classes, and I couldn’t get all of them used,” Sullivan said. “I could see a rental program being really useful for general education classes, but I think it’ll be important for me to keep my books and use them in my professional career.”

Shannon Watkins, a junior with a double major in history and anthropology, spent $500 on books this semester.

“I ended up spending $300 on books for classes that I’m taking just because I’m interested in them,” Watkins said. “I’m not sure how much I would like to use a rental program, though, because I tend to keep most of my books, and I know a lot of people buy them online for discounted prices.”