As students get settled in on campus for the fall semester, many are waiting to see if professors will require them to use textbooks for their classes, and shelling out hundreds of dollars this semester is something students may dread.

Two ISU alumni are seeking an end to the problem many face by cutting the cost in half and saving students money.

The new app “Flamingo” has launched on Android phones and tablets and is awaiting approval in the Apple app store. The app creators, Aaron Hurd, 2006 computer engineering graduate, and Joe Schneider, 2007 computer engineering graduate, said “students deserve a better way to buy and sell textbooks.”

While both graduated from Iowa State, Hurd and Schneider met in 2006 while employed at John Deere, where they worked on creating auto-steering systems for tractors using GPS technology.

“We were always the rebels who tried to make things better, and we didn’t necessarily always ask for permission,” Hurd said. “We thought, ‘Okay, student textbooks. The whole experience with textbooks sucks.’ Students always spend $1,200 a year on textbooks, and at the end of the semester, you have to sell it back to the bookstore and get pennies on the dollar or try to sell it on Amazon.”

They say “buying textbooks should be hassle-free,” which is why they have made simplicity the heart of the app.

“Our thought is, you have a student taking, for example, Physics 221 this semester and finishing up, why not connect that student to the student taking Physics 221 next semester so they can sell their book?” Hurd said.

Students looking to sell their books can open the app, take a picture and enter a few details, such as the book’s ISBN number. The app uses the phone’s GPS coordinates when listing the book, which allows students nearby to search for books closest to them.

If someone finds a book they need to buy nearby, they can then message the seller through the app and meet with them, work out a price and receive the book in person quickly.

“So our idea here is, say you’re in Larch Hall, we’ll show you books in Larch Hall first,” Hurd said. “You click on the book, and you can message the seller and arrange a time on campus to meet up. It could literally be you open the app, search for your book, message the seller and say ‘Hey, I live in Larch, you want to meet downstairs in 5 minutes?’ and you exchange the book for cash.”

According to College Board, which is most known for administering the ACT and SAT tests, in-state college students at a four-year public university will spend around $1,225 on their textbooks each school year.

As ISU alumni, they have decided to release the app exclusively to ISU students first. Going forward, they wish to hear feedback on the app and hope an early release will allow students to begin seeking out books to buy and start to help save money right away.

While Iowa State may get first dibs for a brief period on the app, the creators hope to expand to more students around the country. Hurd and Schnieder cite Department of Education statistics which say over 20 million students will attend college this fall nationwide, which adds up to a $12 billion dollar savings figure.

“The amount of interest I got, from all over, is just ridiculous,” Hurd said. “Over the last several months, we’ve talked to students, universities, professors, community college administrators, and everybody is interested in solving this problem.”

And the name Flamingo? There is a reason it is named after a bird, Hurd said.

“A flamingo is an unusual bird,” Hurd said. “In a way, that’s like us. We are creating a tech startup in the Midwest, launching a product before it is polished and focusing on solving the problem before we try to generate revenue.”

Hurd and Schneider will be on campus at the Memorial Union on Wednesday for Welcome Fest. They will also be outside Parks Library in the Free Speech Zone from 10:40 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Anyone looking to speak to them about the app and its possibilities can stop by during either stop on campus.

Those interested in finding more info about the app can visit www.flamingoapp.net