Unlike Iowa State, some universities endorse a policy for textbook purchases that features a flat fee for books under a rental system, rather than buying and selling used textbooks.

One university that uses such a policy is Northwest Missouri State University, where a flat-fee textbook system has been in place for much of the university’s history.

This policy has positive and negative aspects for the university’s students.

“Students are charged a certain amount based on class hours, and use the books throughout the semester, returning them at the conclusion of the semester,” Northwest Missouri State Treasurer Jenette Whited said. “They have the option to purchase the books if they so choose, and the cycle repeats.”

Whited said the policy has been in effect for all 28 years she has worked there.

“There are several rules that govern this strategy and make it successful. Professors are only allowed to replace books every three years, and students are still required to buy supplemental materials,” Whited said.

A complaint among students is that course packets are not included in the plan, she said.

“A student will sometimes have to purchase an extra $50 of books to finish a course,” Whited said.

Whited said the university sometimes has to be conscious of its budget for ends to meet.

“One wall we run into is that we aren’t allowed to use any state appropriations on this matter, so breaking even is sometimes difficult,” Whited said.

“The textbook fee is actually placed on top of tuition, and next year we will point this out on student’s bills,” said Assistant Treasurer for Northwest Missouri State Terri Christensen. “Students pay a fee of $2.50 per credit hour for the book rental, so a student with 15 credit hours will pay around $37.”

Though the textbook system works at one university, Christensen said it may not work at all, noting the attainability of such a policy is contingent on initial capital, the economy and interest among staff.

“This system was built from the ground up and would take an amazing amount of money to get a university with the magnitude of Iowa State off the ground,” Christensen said.