Buy College Textbooks Online for Big Savings

Colleges did everything they could to force their students to buy their books from the campus bookstore.

However, The Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (enacted August 14, 2008) directed:

• college textbook publishers to provide pricing information to faculty to help them to decide which books to purchase
• college bookstores to provide textbook information to students early so that they are aware of the textbook costs for different courses
• publishers to provide pricing information on "unbundled" versions of every "bundled" textbook they sell

So, if you know the courses you are going to take, you can compare prices and availability, buy your books online and save a bundle.

These are some of the best sources online for discount textbooks:

- Probably the biggest college textbook retailer, they offer free shipping on orders over $59, but also other, quicker delivery methods. You can buy new or used books as well as ebooks and rentals. They also have a student marketplace where you can buy directly from other students.

- This retailer offers very competitive prices, over 1 million new and used college textbooks, many delivery options and free shipping of between 2 and 10 books.

- Bookbyte promises to ship the books within one day of ordering and they have a 14-day return policy, full refund with no questions asked. They buy back textbooks and have an in-house 24/7 customer service department.

- Bunchesofbooks specializes in used college texts. All their books are physically in stock in their warehouse and are shipped by them.

If you want to save even more money, rather than buy college textbooks online, rent textbooks instead. This is a fairly new, popular option, but you need to take good care of the books (although some highlighting and notes are usually allowed).

Internet libraries (by subscription) are another way to get cheap textbooks.

And now there is an even better way to download really cheap college textbooks online.

Sell used textbooks when you're through with them, for cash or credit at an online bookstore instead of at your school's store. You will get more money for them, which you can set aside for next semester's books (reducing the amount of college loan money you need to borrow).