The groundbreaking and popular textbook rental program is getting an upgrade due to the expansion of the Rapert Library Complex at UA Hope-Texarkana.
Over the summer, UAHT has worked hard to upgrade the efficiency, accessibility, and visual appeal of the college book program. Students can now access book rentals directly through the new addition to the Rapert Library Complex.
Upon entering the new addition, students will be able to swipe their student ID at the book rental kiosk where their name will cue on the customer service monitor, and their schedule of classes will post for book rental staff to collect their books. Instead of waiting in line while their books are gathered, students can now lounge in the comfortable new waiting area until the monitor notifies them that their books are ready.In 2015, the college made the transition from the old college textbook model, in which a private textbook vendor located on campus sold books to students, to the new model, in which the college purchases the textbooks and rents them directly to students. For students who participate in the book program, the cost of textbooks for classes at UAHT is only $20 per credit hour plus tax. For example, the cost of textbooks for any three-hour course is only $60 plus tax. Under the old model, UAHT students were spending an average of just over $1,000 per semester for textbooks. With the new UAHT Textbook Program, students are only spending an average of just over $300 per semester on textbooks.
“The cost of college textbooks is one of the leading cost barriers preventing students from obtaining higher education. In some cases, UAHT students were paying more for textbooks than they were for tuition. The faculty and staff at the college have fundamentally changed the campus textbook model to serve our students better. In total, students have saved approximately $3.14 million in book costs since the program began. Our textbook program is a prime example of how UAHT puts students first,” said Chancellor Chris Thomason.
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