College Textbook Money-Saving Tips;

Bookstore at WKCTC offers a variety of options

Paducah, KY (08/11/2017) — It's almost back-to-school time, which means college students are thinking about purchasing their books. Students who attend West Kentucky Community and Technical College can find several cost saving options through their college bookstore.

That's because WKCTC is keeping the cost of textbooks and other learning materials in check through a variety of programs. New and returning students have a number of options for obtaining textbooks, but some of those choices are more costly than others.

Here are some cost-saving tips for students who are getting ready to purchase textbooks for the fall semester:

  1. Use the Barnes & Noble College price match option. If students find a book advertised or offered from local brick-and-mortar bookstores or online retailers, your WKCTC bookstore will match it. This is for books purchased in-store or online. (Certain stipulations must be met regarding the online comparison book.) The Barnes & Noble College bookstore at WKCTC is located in the Anderson Technical Building.
  2. Rent instead of buy. With the flexible rental program, students can choose from thousands of textbooks to rent for the school term. Typical rental periods run from 60 up to 130 days. Students also have the option to buy their rentals at any time during the rental period.
  3. Ask instructors if their class is part of the First Day Course Charge Delivery Model. This model makes textbooks and other learning materials immediately available to students as soon as faculty members make course information available. No access codes are needed and there's no wait time for students. The highly popular model represents an average savings of 40 percent, compared to the same content offered outside of the model. This is not available for all classes, but many are included.

"Students should be sure to bring their schedule with them when visiting the bookstore," said Bookstore Manager Todd Mitchell. "All instructors teaching the same classes may not use the same book. Having their schedule will guarantee that students get the correct book for their class."

Mitchell said a photo ID is required for anyone charging their purchases to financial aid. Financial aid charges take place about 10 days before and after the first day of classes. "All items in the bookstore are chargeable to financial aid," Mitchell added, "and this year, our bookstore even has computers and tablets!"

Over the last two academic years, students have saved an average of $109 through the partnership Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) has with its 16 campus bookstores managed by Barnes & Noble College. This comes to an overall savings of $14.5 million for KCTCS students statewide. For more information on purchasing textbooks and other resources, visit kctcs.bncollege.com