Buying college textbooks getting expensive? Not a problem at Southeastern
Contact: Rene Abadie
8/4/11
HAMMOND – In a stressed economy, students at Southeastern Louisiana University are enjoying the benefit of renting their textbooks instead of spending hundreds of dollars to purchase them.
Southeastern has offered a textbook rental system for over 75 years and is among only a few universities that offers this service independently of its on-campus bookstore. Operated by the university itself, it allows students to save education dollars every semester.
“I always hear my friends at other schools complain about the cost of their textbooks, and I am just happy that I am never burdened with those high prices,” said Landon Andries, a sophomore biology major from Addis.
According to Southeastern’s Office of Auxiliary Services, the average cost of purchasing typical books used in a freshman semester is over $1,000. Renting the same books from Southeastern – at a flat fee of $35 per course – costs only $175, a savings of more than $800 per semester
“Students and parents love textbook rental,” said Connie Davis, director of Auxiliary Services. “For one flat fee per course, the students rent their textbooks rather than having to buy them. Parents remember from their own college days lining up to buy books and having to write a fairly sizeable check. This is much less painful.”
The $35 per course fee allows up to two rentals per course. Paperback, spiral bound, work books, and other materials that are updated frequently or must be filled out for assignments – such as lab manuals – are not included in the rental system.
“It makes everything extremely easy and it saves money by reusing books and not having to buy books you may never look at again,” said Johnny Braud, a junior sports management major from Covington.
Southeastern’s Textbook Rental System is not a profit-making venture but was put in place years ago solely to reduce students’ financial burdens. The system is designed for ease of use and has been an effective recruiting tool for the university for years, Davis said. “In the end, all that is requested of the students is that they return the books at the conclusion of the semester on time and undamaged,” she added.
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