Textbook Money-Saving Tips

Published on Aug 7, 2017

It’s almost back-to-school time, which means college students are thinking about purchasing their books. Students who attend Gateway can find several cost saving options through their college bookstore. That’s because we are keeping the cost of textbooks and other learning materials in check through a variety of programs.

New and returning students have a number of options for obtaining textbooks, but some of those choices are more costly than others. Here are some cost-saving tips for students who are getting ready to purchase textbooks for the fall semester:

1. Use the Barnes & Noble College price match option. If students find a book advertised or offered from local brick-and-mortar bookstores or online retailers, your Gateway bookstore will match it up to seven days after classes have started. This is for books purchased in-store or online.

2. Rent instead of buy. With the flexible rental program, students can choose from thousands of textbooks to rent for the school term. Typical rental periods run from 60 up to 130 days. Students also have the option to buy their rentals at any time during the rental period.

3. Ask instructors if their class is part of the First Day Course Charge Delivery Model. This model makes textbooks and other learning materials immediately available to students as soon as faculty members make course information available. No access codes are needed and there’s no wait time for students. The highly popular model represents an average savings of 40 percent, compared to the same content offered outside of the model. This is not available for all classes, but many are included.

Click here for more information on purchasing textbooks and other resources.