Lowering textbook costs

Course materials add up quickly each term, and there are several ways to bring the cost down. Start by pinning down exactly what each course needs, then compare the cheaper ways to get it and check how any materials billed to your account work.

Find out exactly what you need

Your course listing or syllabus should name each book by title, author, edition and ISBN, the number that identifies a specific edition. Some instructors post the list before term starts, and the campus store usually lists it too. If an older edition would work, ask the instructor before buying the newest one.

Some courses need an access code for an online homework platform, which may not come with a used or rented book. Find out whether the code is required for graded work before you buy anything.

Rent, buy used or borrow

Renting and buying used copies can cost much less than buying new, and many sellers will buy books back at the end of term. Check rental return dates and condition rules, since late or damaged returns can be charged. Digital rentals are often cheaper but usually expire after the term.

The campus library often keeps copies of required books on course reserve, which you can use for a few hours at a time. Interlibrary loan and your public library may also have a copy. Classmates sometimes share or sell books from earlier terms.

Before the term starts

• Get the ISBN and edition for each book
• Ask whether an access code is required
• Check course reserves at the library
• Note the inclusive-access opt-out deadline

Open educational resources

Open educational resources are textbooks and course materials released under licenses that let anyone read them at no charge. Many courses now use them in place of a commercial book, and some schools mark these courses in the class schedule with a no-cost or low-cost label. Choosing those sections, where your degree requirements allow it, removes the textbook bill for that course.

An instructor who assigns an expensive book may be open to an open alternative in a later term. Campus librarians often help faculty find these materials.

Inclusive-access and first-day billing

Some schools deliver digital course materials on the first day and add the charge to your student account, often called inclusive access or first-day access. Schools that bill this way generally have to let you opt out, and the deadline to opt out usually falls early in the term. If you can get the material elsewhere for less, look up the opt-out steps in your course or student account.

If you receive federal aid and expect a credit balance, ask the financial aid office or bursar how to get books before your refund arrives. Many schools offer a book voucher or a way to charge books to the student account for this reason.