Textbook Rental a Proven Benefit for University of Arkansas Students

On Aug. 4, 2010, the University of Arkansas Bookstore kicked off its textbook rental program. Since that time, University of Arkansas students have been able to rent textbooks both online at bookstore.uark.edu and within the store. Before the program was rolled out, all textbook rental market numbers showed that students, on average, would save more than 55 percent with rental textbooks in comparison to purchasing a new textbook.

Now, after three full semesters of the program, the savings are clear.

"Our data show that since the inception of our textbook rental program, we have rented thousands of textbooks with an initial cost savings value of over $600,000 to our students. Our goal is to continue this service and expand the number of in-store titles in the next academic year," said Ali Sadeghi, director of the University of Arkansas Bookstore.

In addition to cost savings the textbook rental program:

• Includes thousands of the most popular textbook
  titles for rental.
• Provides students with a new option for
  fulfilling their course material needs.
• Allows students the freedom to highlight and
  take notes within the normal limits of acceptable wear and tear associated with
  coursework materials.
• Gives students the choice to buy their textbooks
  at the end of the term if they want to keep them.
• Helps decrease the high front-end cost of
  starting a new semester.

The University of Arkansas Bookstore provides textbooks for sale in a variety of formats: new, used, rental and digital. Each format has advantages and disadvantages. Each student should evaluate his or her textbook needs and select the buying format that best fits their economic situation.