By Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief
Not only can college be really expensive, but on top of tuition there is the additional expense of course materials. However, for the 2022-23 academic year, textbook acquisition looks different for Regis students. Earlier this summer, Regis students received an email regarding the new endeavor to make textbooks more affordable through Regis’ partnership with their bookstore vendor, Follett.
Through this new program, Regis students are charged a flat $35 per credit hour fee, and in return will receive their course materials through mail or bundled and ready at the Ranger Station Bookstore. It is worth noting that this program may not include all academic programs, such as nursing. Further, there is the option to opt out of the program, which may be in the best interest of many Regis students.
For me and my chosen path of study, I was hesitant about the program since the fee for my credits was over $500, when my textbooks have never costed me more than $200 in past semesters. As a result, I chose to pursue the opt out path. I would recommend doing a little bit of research to see what prices your textbooks are going for. If it would cost less to buy your textbooks on your own, then opting out would save you money. Alternatively, if the cost would be more than the fee, saying in the program would save you money.
After sending a couple emails, I was informed that to opt out of the program, all I needed to visit the portal, register with my Regis email, and opt out from there. However, the fee will not be removed until after the add/ drop date. Access the portal here: https://accessportal.follett.com/0269
For those who wish to bargain shop for their textbooks, I have some recommendations to aid your search. I will usually start my search by simply googling the ISBN of the required textbook, to get an overview of the prices and sources I can buy from. However, I do have a few websites I usually end up buying from (with some bonus deals).
Thriftbooks.com
This is my all time favorite website to buy books from. It is a used book site that you can buy based on the condition of the used book, ranked from acceptable to like new. This site also has a great rewards program in which you are granted points based on your purchases that you can redeem for FREE BOOKS! And, the more you buy the more points you get per dollar spent. Since these are used books, quantities are often limited or not available, but I would recommend starting here!
Rakuten deals
You can get cashback on purchases from particular stores through Rakuten, including Textbooks.com (2% cashback), Follett (2% cashback), Barnes and Noble (1.5% cashback), Better World Books (2.5% cashback), and Ecampus (3.5% cashback). All you need to do is create an account with Rakuten, then go through their app to the website, or add the Rakuten shortcut to your computer!
Chegg
I know a lot of students use Chegg, but I just haven’t had a lot of luck finding the best deal on this site. However, UNiDAYS, a discount website with student deals, has a coupon for Chegg for 10% off! I also recommend getting an account with them to take advantage of student deals and discounts while you are still enrolled.
Additional tips & tricks
Try to find eBooks to buy or rent, which can be cheaper with the additional benefit of digital highlighting and notes, and my favorite feature, the search option. With a physical book, you have to flip through countless pages to find something you are looking for, but with an eBook you can simply search a key word.
If you buy a physical book, you have the option to pursue sellback options. I have sold back to the Ranger Station Bookstore before, as well as to websites like Textbooks.com for some extra cash!
Ultimately, it’s up to you how you want your textbooks! You have to weigh the options of cost, time, and convenience to see what the best option would be for you.