 "Photo: Morgan Crutchfield/Echo staff photographer")
 "Photo: Mrgan Crutchfield/Echo staff photographer")
When it comes to buying textbooks, college students typically want to save as much money as possible. Renting textbooks is a new way to keep a few dollars in your pocket. Textbook renting began at N.C. Central University in fall 2010 and is designed to help students save money.
"For Rent" signs in the University bookstore provide students with the options for renting new or used books rather than buying books for the semester.
According to bookstore Stephanie Getchell, Follett bookstore manager loses money when renting because it takes two and half years to recoup the money.
But the University benefits from renting because 10 percent of all book rental sales goes to the University's General Fund.
"Renting a text saves about 50 to 55 percent [compared to buying new]," said Getchell. Currently there are about 1,000 titles at the NCCU's bookstore — 368 of those titles are rentable.
To rent a textbook, students must register with rentatext.com and leave a credit card number for collateral. If a student does not return the book, he or she will be charged the full price of the book.
Renters who fail to return books also will be charged a non-return and a processing fee. Last term about 90 percent of textbooks were returned.
When renting, students are expected to return the textbook in the same condition in which it was issued.
"The textbook cannot have pages missing, water damage and you can't highlight the entire page," said Getchell.
"The bookstore also sends out three e-mails to renters during the semester to remind them to turn in the book."Attitudes toward the process are mixed.
"I rented a textbook this semester for a finite mathematics course and it was like 80 dollars cheaper than retail," said Joshua Trower , a history senior.
"It was perfect," Trower said."Actually I think it was brand new … so I'm satisfied with my renting experience."
However, computer science junior Marcia Woodbury said, "I don't like having my credit card on file and I'm not sure how much they will nit-pick on damage.
"Then you [might] have to pay full price." Renting, along with e-books, Kindle and Amazon are some of the ways students can save those precious dollars when buying expensive textbooks.
"Rental is really the way to go," said Getchell. "I think it will go up continuously."A list of rentable textbooks is online at www.rentatext.com.
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