Like just about every other cost associated with higher education, the cost of college textbooks has been rising as well. According to a February report from the Student Public Interest Research Group, the cost of textbooks has risen about 78 percent over the past decade. Yet while the price of textbooks is up, students are actually spending less. Last year, according to the National Association of College Stores, students spent an average of $602 on course materials, including textbooks—about $100 less than students spent a decade ago.Many students check out price comparison sites such as Booksprice and Textsurf to get the best deals possible. Another reason is that a growing number of schools no longer require as many textbooks as they once did. Instead, the faculty are switching over to free, open-source course materials. But students are also getting smarter about how they shop, finding lower cost ways of getting the books they need. “There are alternatives out there now for students that can save hundreds of dollars,” says Ethan Senack, higher education advocate with the United States Public Interest Research Group.

Here’s how you can save money while getting your textbooks: You’ll find the best prices online, but there’s a lot of variation in price especially for used books. Shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal, and double check the ISBN number to make sure you’re looking at the exact same book. to see how often the publisher releases new editions. If a new version could be released next year, the value of your book will drop significantly. If you think you’ll need to reference the book after your class is over, it may be worth the extra cost to buy the book. Also, think about the net cost of the book, if you plan to sell it later. While buying a book means you’ll have the highest upfront costs, you need to see how much you could get back by selling it later. You can run the numbers for a specific book online at sites like The Book Rocket. Keep in mind that if you buy an e-book, you can download it directly to your laptop or tablet. The cost is usually comparable to buying the paper version of the same book.

A drawback, though, is that there is a limit to the number of devices you can use to access a single e-book subscription. Tattoo Meaning Weight Loss“If you pull up your book on your friend’s computer one time, you may be stuck not being able to load it on yours,” Senack says.Moving Company Sales Pitch How have you handled the high cost of textbooks?Chocolate Lab Puppies For Sale Long Island Tell us in the comments section below. Your campus bookstore may offer textbook rentals, but they’re also available online. , , , . But consider the pros and cons. Renting textbooks costs less upfront than purchasing the book, and could make sense if you won’t need the books after the course is over. But if you lose or damage the book you may have to pay additional fees when you return it and that just might be more costly than purchasing the book.

Many school and department libraries keep copies of popular textbooks on hand. While they’re usually not available to check out for the entire semester, you can use the books in the library and make copies of important pages and chapters. If there aren’t any copies available, ask your professor whether her or she can put one on reserve in the library. The obvious upside here, is that the book won’t cost you a penny. But if you’re the kind of person who likes to mark up the book and refer to it later, borrowing may not be the best option.Santa Monica College textbooks. Prices and availability are subject to change! If you order a "Used" textbook and only "New" textbooks are available, a "New" textbook will be substituted and we will charge you the "New" textbookIf you order a "New" textbook and only "Used" textbooks are available, a "Used" textbook will be substituted and we will charge you the "Used" textbook Any books marked "$0.00" have not yet been priced.

They are not free! update this information as soon as possible. Santa Monica College students trust Santa Monica College Bookstore for new and used textbooks. At Santa Monica College Bookstore you'll get the exact textbooks selected by your instructors at the most competitive prices… guaranteed! Santa Monica College Bookstore, your Santa Monica College bookstore. Don't forget, you can buy online and pick up at the store! and we work with Marketplace sellers, all of whom are approved by Barnes & Noble to offer the largest inventory of used textbooks on the internet. To find used textbooks, just search by title, author, or ISBN to see if we have a used version of the textbook you are looking for. Low Prices We offer you low prices, so you can stretch your budget. Some of our used textbooks are listed at 90% off their sticker price. Standards You Can Trust We sell only the highest-quality used books. You won't find mildew stains, missing pages, or pervasive underlining! Even lab manuals, study guides, and workbooks are intact and virtually scribble-free.

Return PolicyYou can return used books, so don't be afraid to add a used textbook to your cart. Returns are accepted within 14 days of the date you received your order. Barnes & Noble Returns Department 1 Barnes & Noble Way Monroe Township, NJ 08831 Sell Your BooksAt the end of the semester, if your textbooks are still in good condition, you can sell your books back to us for cash!Grayslake (Main Campus) Southlake Campus Lakeshore Campus Online Extension Sites Tutoring and Academic Support Counseling, Advising and Transfer Services Student Behavior / Reporting Incidents Fax: (847) 223-9106 Lakeshore, S116 Phone: (847) 543-2189 Southlake, V134 Phone: (847) 543-6530 Online Bookstore 7:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Each CLC campus has a bookstore selling textbooks and supplies for courses offered at the campus. Because of construction, the book storage area for the Grayslake Campus bookstore has moved, and students are no longer able to pull books from storage shelves themselves on this campus.