Frequently Asked Questions
What will my textbooks cost?
A full-time student, on average should plan on spending between $275 - $400 per semester
for textbooks. The best way to save money on your textbooks is to purchase used books
whenever possible.
Why are textbooks so expensive?
Usually until a student goes to college, textbooks are often free. If it is the first
time you have ever purchased a textbook the price will probably be a shock. If your
only experience with buying a book is paying $10.95 for a paperback novel or $32.95
for a hardcover book that you really want to read, then watching a textbook scan up
at $80.00 or more will come as quite a surprise!
But textbooks are not produced in the same way as your typical trade book title.
Textbooks have vast amounts of research, technology that changes in the blink of an
eye, medical advances that have to be updated and included in new editions, expensive
drawings, charts, diagrams and multi-color graphics and pictures.
When you think about it....textbooks are a good value. You will learn a great deal
from them, they are your tools for success and represent only a small part of the
investment you will make in your education and your future.
The SCF Store must make a ton of money on textbook sales!!!
An expensive textbook, surprisingly does not equate to a large profit for The SCF
Store. It is very important to realize that for every dollar you spend, nearly 80
cents goes to the publisher, the author (s) and freight carriers to cover production
and shipping costs.
The SCF Store makes about 20 cents on the dollar and out of that portion we pay all
of the payroll and operating expenses associated with the operation of a college Store.
It is very important to realize that once we pay our operating expenses, The SCF Store
gives back to the college all remaining proceeds to support a multitude of programs.
For more information on where your textbook dollar goes,
click here.
How can I save money on the cost of my textbooks?
Many students prefer to purchase used books rather than new. This is a great way
a student can save money on the purchase of their textbooks. The SCF Store carries
a large selection of used textbooks which sell for 25% less than new textbooks. This
provides you, our customer, with an option and an opportunity to save some money.
Although we secure as many used titles as we can from students and companies whose
primary business is selling used textbooks to college stores, it is impossible to
carry all the used books customers want and need.
Therefore, if you are interested in purchasing used books, shop early to take advantage
of the greatest availabilty of our stock of used books.
eBooks are online versions of textbooks and serve as another option for students to
save money on textbooks. eBooks are convenient, less expensive and delivered right
to your desktop. The SCF Store carries a large variety of eBooks each semester.
I want to know more about the Buyback Program...
The SCF Store offers a student a textbook buyback service throughout the year. This
is an opportunity for students to recover a portion of their educational costs by
selling back textbooks they do not want to keep for future reference.
When you sell back your books, you provide other students with an opportunity to defray
some of their textbook expense. Students are our best source for used textbooks and
we prefer to purchase them from you rather than a used book dealer.
Generally speaking, the highest buyback value of textbooks is at the conclusion of
each semester, when The SCF Store is buying books for the next semester. The buyback
price is primarily determined by whether the book is being used in the upcoming semester.
Buyback is driven by a professor's book order. The academic department and professor
are the most important components in determining what will be bought back at buyback
for resale in The SCF Store.
Does The SCF Store Choose the Textbooks It Sells?
Actually, we don't.
Textbooks are selected by academic departments and the professors who teach the courses
at SCF. As the departments and professors submit adoptions, the store orders the
books that are requested.
Does The SCF Store Sometimes Run Out Of Or Not Have a Book For a Course?
On occasion, you may find that we do not have the book for your course or perhaps
we have run out of it. The reasons for this vary, but are usually due to:
- The publisher is out-of-stock
- The college has responded to an increased need for a particular course by adding a
section during late registration, the week before classes begin. If this happens,
the order for this course comes in just before the semester starts and we have to
rush books in.
- The professor has changes and is not using the same books as the originally scheduled
instructor. This most often happens at the last minute during late registration.
- Honest Mistakes
Whatever the case may be, we make every effort to get the books in as quickly as possible
and with as little inconvenience to the student as possible.
Protecting Your Textbook Investment.
The books for your courses are expensive and we do not want you to be victimized by
having your books stolen, therefore.
- Please do not leave them unattended anywhere.
- Once you are absolutely certain that you do not need to return or exchange your books,
add a unique mark to a specific page.
What do we mean?
Select a page-you pick the page number so nobody knows it- and in every book you purchase,
make a mark that only you would know.
If you lose your books, you can give The SCF Store or Campus Security the page number
and a description of the identifying mark. This will assist with our efforts to try
to recover your books.
Remember that your textbooks represent an investment in your education--use them and
enjoy your educational experience, but don't forget to protect them.
