College Stores Offer Choices to Save Students Money on Course Materials

National Association of College Stores notes importance of used textbooks

OBERLIN, Ohio, July 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The new school year is right around the corner, and college students are getting a jumpstart on buying textbooks and other course materials for the new semester. With the latest OnCampus Research Student Watch survey showing students expecting to spend an average of $667 annually on required course materials, the need to save is more important than ever.

College stores are stepping up to help keep the cost of textbooks as affordable as possible by offering their students a variety of choices in this area. Stores are offering books in new or used condition, rentals, or downloadable electronic textbooks for computers and e-readers.

A series of four releases by the National Association of College Stores (NACS) aims to make the return to class easier on students and their wallets.

Option #1 Used Textbooks

Buying multiple new textbooks at the start of a semester can add up pretty fast. By buying used textbooks, students can reduce the cost of course materials and the savings can be substantial.

Used textbooks are typically priced at 75% of the retail price of a new book. College stores report that, on average, used books make up 35% of their course materials inventory and the percentage is increasing annually.

"College stores are by far the largest sellers of used books and strive to provide as many as possible to make course materials as affordable as possible, but they often sell out quickly," says Charles Schmidt, NACS' director of public relations. "Shop the college store early or buy directly from its Web site to take advantage of your college's book sales. Many also offer special sales through their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. 'Friend' your college store today so as not to miss out on any savings."

When buying used books at the college store, students experience no lengthy shipping waits or unexpected handling charges. They also can be confident they are getting the correct edition and ancillary course materials, while being protected by the store's clearly defined return policy if they have to drop a class. An added benefit is that, at the end of the term, students can recoup some extra cash by selling used books back to the store – sometimes for as much as 50% of the NEW book price.

Next week…Option #2: Rentals.

About NACS

Headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio, the National Association of College Stores (NACS) is the professional trade association of the college store industry. NACS represents more than 3,000 collegiate retailers and approximately 1,100 associate members who supply books and other products to college stores. NACS member stores serve America's college students while supporting the academic missions of higher education institutions everywhere. Additional information on NACS can be found online at www.nacs.org.

SOURCE National Association of College Stores