As students we are all subject to the crunch and shock that textbook prices put on our wallets, and many of us are keeping tabs on the various solutions big-name competitors have been advertising.Yet, one of the most promising developments to date is being able to rent your core textbooks.

Cengage Learning now has CengageBrain, a user-friendly textbook rental website.

“Students can rent textbooks for up to 70% off the suggested retail price, purchase printed textbooks, e-Textbooks, individual eChapters and audio books,” said Lindsay Brown, Director Corporate Communications at Cengage Learning.

“Students have a choice to rent titles for 60 (summer), 90 (quarter) or 130 (semester) days, with the option to extend the rental term for a fee.”

When the rental period expires, students can buy the book or return it by printing out the pre-paid return label found on the company website. There are no fees to send the book back to Cengage, as long as it’s within your rental cycle.

“For rental orders, customers can choose UPS Ground for a flat rate of $3.99 or UPS express shipping for $9.99,” Brown added.

“Students can process a cancellation within the first 30 days of their start date if they drop a class or order the wrong book.”

It is important to note that a penalty is accrued if your title is not returned to Cengage by the due date or within their seven-day grace window.

After that, the individual will be charged the retail price of the book, less the total amount of the rental.

For the student who needs to study by marking in his or
her textbook, Cengage does allow a “reasonable amount” of
highlighting.

The company describes damage to a book as “any condition that makes the book unusable by other students.”

To rent a textbook, have the ISBN number for the required book for your class (you can get this from the MATC’s online bookstore), and go to CengageBrain.com.