| Every year students require various college textbooks | | | | e-book-oriented study program. |
| for their classes, spending a small fortune to purchase | | | | In order to achieve a better position on the market, the |
| them. High standards should be improved in the | | | | great majority of booksellers have recently started to |
| business deal of purchasing new and used books so | | | | sell textbooks at a considerable discount off the cover |
| that all students would benefit of improved methods of | | | | price. Furthermore, special areas have been created in |
| learning. In recent years, college bookstores have | | | | order to improve the selling of textbooks on the |
| begun to lose their monopoly over the market, | | | | Internet. Another great source for college books are |
| generating pronounced imbalances regarding the | | | | the online used bookstores, which help students find |
| average costs of most study materials. | | | | the textbooks of their interest at considerably lower |
| Thousands of students who will soon head off to | | | | prices. |
| college campuses nationwide are beginning to realize | | | | Students must be very careful when closing a deal on |
| that it takes quite a bit of capital these days to buy | | | | the Web. Considering the fact that textbook prices |
| textbooks. In the past two decades, college textbooks | | | | greatly vary on the Internet, students are advised to |
| prices have increased considerably, at twice the rate | | | | closely analyze all possible alternatives before |
| of inflation. According to government estimates, | | | | choosing a certain bookseller over another. It is |
| students and their families have spent more than $6 | | | | important to note that the purchase price should not be |
| billion on new and used textbooks over the period of | | | | the only considered aspect when buying textbooks |
| the academic year 2003-2004. During 2002 and 2004, | | | | online; students should also factor in shipping costs and |
| the average college student spent up to $900 a year | | | | delivery time before deciding upon buying their desired |
| for textbooks, around 3 percent more than in the last | | | | textbooks on the Internet. |
| seven years. Recent studies have also revealed the | | | | In order to fight the high cost of college textbooks you |
| fact that the average student nowadays spends | | | | should double-check for the correct 10-digit International |
| about $100 on a single curriculum-oriented new book | | | | Standard Book Number, or ISBN. This number is |
| and about $65 on a similar used book. | | | | situated above the bar code on the textbook's back |
| Fortunately, there are various high-standard educational | | | | cover or title page. When you are purchasing online |
| institutions that are currently striving to overcome such | | | | you should check for the ISBN along with the book title, |
| topical issues regarding the low affordability of | | | | author and edition. |
| curricular study materials. The University of Phoenix for | | | | If you simply can't afford new textbooks, you should |
| instance, has corrected such problems by modifying | | | | consider purchasing used textbooks, as they are |
| the general curriculum and preparing a lighter course | | | | considerably less expensive than their new |
| load for attending students. By replacing most | | | | counterparts. You can purchase a used textbook at |
| traditional textbooks with e-books, the University of | | | | about 75 percent of the retail price of a new textbook. |
| Phoenix has become the first "textbook-less" college in | | | | Prices vary anywhere from $10 to $80, with an |
| the country. | | | | approximate average of $40. Due to the fact that |
| Highly skilled students joining selected programs | | | | used books are a scarce and limited resource, often |
| nowadays benefit for Microsoft's e-book reader | | | | being sold out by the beginning of the school year, |
| software. However, in order to obtain unlimited access | | | | students may need to shop early in order to obtain |
| to interactive materials and up-to-date texts online, | | | | their required used books. In spite of this fact, used |
| students still have to pay a per-course fee. In present, | | | | textbooks are still a reliable, cost-effective alternative |
| the University of Phoenix has almost 95,500 students | | | | to new textbooks, allowing students to spend less |
| at more than 100 locations across the country, | | | | money for their education. |
| currently striving to integrate all students in the | | | | |