UF students have a new option to consider when getting textbooks.
Students can now rent their textbooks through a new deferment program that allows financial aid to be used for books before the money is disbursed to the student.
This option is available at the UF Bookstore, located at the Welcome Center in the Reitz Union, the College of Veterinary Medicine Bookstore, the Health Sciences Center Bookstore and the Levin College of Law Bookstore.
Students will be allowed to highlight and write in these rented books without being penalized, said Lynne Vaughan, director of UF bookstores.
However, if the books are damaged, or returned late, students will be penalized, Vaughan said. If books aren't returned at all, students will pay 75 percent of what the book would cost new.
Students who want to use the program must create a rental profile on www.rent-a-text.com, Vaughan said. When students go to the bookstore to rent, all of their information is already in the system.
But, not all books will be available for rent, said Jerry Meriwether, assistant director of business services division of UF. He said there are about 1,000 titles available to rent at the moment.
He also said advantages include cutting down on shipping fees for students. Offering this service on campus allows students to save time and money by not packaging and returning unwanted books, he said.
Books must be returned to the same location they came from and by the last day of finals that semester.
Eligible students can rent up to $500 worth of books each semester, Vaughan said.
Along with financial aid, students can pay for rentals with a credit card, debit card, by check or with cash.
