Bookstore FAQ
Before you buy, read our FAQ:
Q. Why are college textbooks SO expensive?
A. A very good question (!), not only for students but for college bookstore managers, who often take the brunt of criticism and frustration from student customers about the cost of their books. To be brutally fair, there are several contributing factors to the high prices of school textbooks:
First, a college textbook is uniquely different from the popular hard–covers and trade paperbacks you'd find at "Borders" or "Barnes & Noble," or gracing the New York Times bestsellers list. It's a careful distillation of all the most current, available knowledge on a certain subject, and often it's a very narrow subject at that. Writing a textbook is an enormous task. There is simply not a whole horde of qualified writers out there who are both expert in a given subject and able to write in a way that is engaging to the student reader. Those writers that can do it are very valuable to the publishing industry.
Second, today's world is very fast-paced, with frequent advances in our knowledge of the sciences, medicine, sociology, psychology, business, and so on. Many of these changes need to be reflected and updated in the textbooks of the day to ensure that students are getting the latest information. This, in part, is the reason for those notorious edition changes, which are costly and time-consuming for the publisher to put into effect.
Third is the return policy that almost all publishers have and, actually, bookstores can be thankful for this one. For example, if you go grocery shopping and at the end of the month you have several items left over that you did not eat or use, you can't simply take them back to Kroger's and expect a full refund, saying, "I never got around to eating these frozen peas and carrots. Can I have my 2 dollars back?" However, that's exactly what publishers allow bookstores to do with their overstock (books that did not sell). Bookstores are allowed to return them to the publisher for a full refund, if returned within a certain time period. The restocking costs - extra manual and accounting labor involved — all contribute to book costs, and are passed on to the student.
Last and perhaps the biggest cause of the skyrocketing book prices is the incredible impact of the worldwide web on the marketplace, enabling students to buy their books online, tax free, and often at discount prices. This has made the book market even more fiercely competitive. As a result, publishers have had to adopt new strategies in order to compete. One common practice now is for publishers to bundle together a book with a CD and a study guide, all wrapped in plastic, and then assign that "bundle" a new, unique ISBN that can't be found anywhere online. Then they wholesale these bundles to bookstores at a reduced price. Students can buy the book or the CD or the study guide online separately, but not together and at a reduced price, as in the bundle.
Q. So? Do I have to buy my books at the college bookstore?
A. No. You're more than welcomed to shop around or even buy your books directly from other students who have just finished the classes you're about to enter (check the bookstore bulletin board or ask other students if they'll sell you their old books). Our prices, however, are very competitive and in many cases better than what can be found online. That's no marketing pitch; it's a fact. Also, the hassle-free assurance that we'll have the right book in stock for the right class at the right time is a real comfort to most students. And we don't charge you sales tax or additional shipping costs — just the price of your book, pure and simple.
Q. Okay. But what if I want to shop around anyway? What do I do?
A. Here on the bookstore webpage you'll find a list of the textbooks required for each upcoming semester. This list is posted about a month before the first day of classes for each semester. The only info you will need from the booklist is the ISBN (International Standard Book Number). This number is usually found on the back of a book, just above the barcode (for example: ISBN 0-13-1926845). This number has always been a 10–digit number — and still is — that is, until 2008 when all ISBNs will switch to a 13-digit number. Until 2008, many books feature both numbers; both will be accepted until 2008.
The ISBN is the only thing you'll need to exactly identify any book. It identifies the title, publisher, author, edition, and year of copyright of virtually every book commercially available. So, if you wish to shop around, come to our webpage, copy down from the booklist the ISBN and [our] retail price of the books you will need for your classes, and thenshop around to your heart's content.
Q.What are my options for payment?
A.You may pay by credit card (Visa/MC only), personal check (made out to "Aquinas College"), cash, or book voucher. NOTE: If you're concerned about getting a quick refund for books that you have to return, it's best to pay by credit or debit card. That way, your bank card can be credited instantly upon return of your books. However, if you have financial aid loans coming, refunds for cash and checks will be applied to your Aquinas account and then combined with your student loan refund. This means your refund will be delayed 1 2 months because the loan refunds are not disbursed until up to 2 months into each semester. So, again, it's best to use a debit card or credit card instead of cash or check, especially if you need and expect speedy refund.
Book vouchers are a very popular way to pay for your books, if you're receiving financial aid. The cost of your books can be charged against your student loans so that you do not have to pay cash for your books up front. To use a book voucher, you will have to visit three campus offices: first, go to the financial aid office and ask if you qualify and for how much. If you do, they will get you started with a voucher. From there, you take the voucher to the main business office (at the "White House") for further account verification. Lastly, you will come to the bookstore with both your schedule and the book voucher and they will gather your books for you. A bit of legwork, yes, but it saves you from having to scrounge around to pay big bucks up front.
Q. What about buying used books?
A. Used books are often available at the bookstore but the earlier you seek them out, the better your chance of getting them. They sell fast. As a rule, used books are 25% off the regular price. Do you have books purchased here that you want to sell back to the bookstore? No problem! At Aquinas, we will resell your used book on a consignment basis. If it is likely that the same book will be used for the same class next semester, we put your book up on our shelves for up to one year in an effort to resell it for you to another student. If it sells, you will be reimbursed 50% of the original price (credited to your account, in most cases).
Q. What's this I hear about renting books?
A. Something Aquinas bookstore offers that few other college bookstores do is the option to rent certain qualifying textbooks. Books that qualify for rental are those for classes which are offered every semester, such as introductory psychology, sociology, algebra, art, economics, introductory computer, and so on. Unfortunately, nursing books do not qualify. The good news is, with a rental you pay half price. All you have to do is keep the book clean (no highlighting or writing in it), and return it on time at the end of the semester. Ask the bookstore personnel which books are qualifying rentals or just check here on the webpage booklist.
Q. How long do I have from the beginning of classes until I can no longer get a full refund for my books?
A. Up to two weeks from the beginning of classes, 100% refund. After two weeks, 75%, and after four weeks, 50%. Legitimate reasons for refund: withdrawal from classes or switching classes, only when accompanied by a change of schedule form. Illegitimate reasons for refund: finding out later, after classes begin, that you can get a book that you bought here elsewhere for less and then returning it; or later getting a book free from a friend. Sorry, but, no. This is not negotiable. Please do your shopping around before classes begin.
Did you know?
Something Aquinas bookstore offers that few other college bookstores do is the option to rent certain qualifying textbooks.