Renting textbooks is cost effective and convenient, but most students are not aware that they can save up to $500 a year by renting instead of purchasing their textbooks.

A cheaper alternative will be available this semester thanks to Mesa College partnering up with BookRenter.com. The online service offers very low prices and extended rentals at any time for textbooks.

The distributor only provides textbooks that can be rented for a reasonable price – usually one fourth of the cost of the new book; otherwise the demand of the book decides the price, still set at a good deal.

The staggering differences between new and buy-back prices have made college students cringe since the system was introduced. BookRenter.com tries to set the rental price at or below this difference, making the program beneficial for Mesa students.

Carol Rohe, the bookstore supervisor, thinks it’s an interesting experiment.

“I look forward to seeing if there is a dramatic difference over the semesters in how many students rent their textbooks online rather than coming into the bookstore,” said Rohe.

The service helps alleviate the stress of falling behind in a class that requires an expensive textbook. It’s a nice alternative for students who cannot afford to buy their books right away. Budgeting financial aid can cause students unnecessary financial stress as well, so Mesa College is minimizing these annoyances by offering BookRenter.com services through the online bookstore.

So here’s how it works: BookRenter.com rents the textbooks out for the entire semester, a total of 125 days. When the due date is approaching they send out reminders via email a week in advance. Reminders can be sent as text messages at the renter’s request. After printing a shipping label off the website, students can drop off the package at any UPS location. If a book is not returned on time then the company extends the rental period, charging the student until the price of the book is met. The company cannot keep charging students past this point.

If students enjoy their rented textbooks then they have the option to buy it. In this case the difference between the rental and new edition costs is added to the original bill.

Renting textbooks over purchasing is a wonderful option for students. Not all students at Mesa College are aware of this new option they have, but in time the word will spread to the students. In the meantime, the students who do know about the textbook rentals need to decide if they want to rent or buy.