Students Get Break on Books

Saving a few bucks is often a college student's top priority.

The California State University school system is doing its part to help.

College students in the CSU system will soon be able to rent textbooks at steep discounts and read those texts on their computers, under a deal recently announced by the school system.

Students will have the option of buying books, as in years past, or renting electronic versions of them for 60 percent less cost, according to an announcement from the CSU system headquarters in Long Beach.

"I think a lot of students somehow try to maneuver their way around buying books regardless, whether it's looking in the library or borrowing a friend's books or trying to find them online," said Cal State Long Beach student Lidia Russom. "This will definitely help us save some money."

The books can be printed out or merely viewed onscreen and more than 5,000 eTextbooks will be available for professors and instructors to adopt.

"Sometimes, it seems like teachers will upgrade to a more expensive book because it has maybe one new chapter," Russom added. "That's unfair to students, so hopefully this will help a lot." 

CSU is one of the largest university systems in the nation, with 427,000 students and 43,000 faculty and staff at 23 campuses and numerous branch campuses from Arcata to El Centro. Cal State universities at Los Angeles, Northridge, Dominguez Hills, Long Beach and Fullerton are among larger CSU campuses in Los Angeles. 

--with reports from CNS