“Occupy The Bookstore” helps local students find cheaper textbooks

Kelsi Hawkins is a senior aviation science major at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, her last semester of college is about to begin, but first she needs books.

Hawkins says, “Every time I go in there I want to cry honestly its so expensive.”

Hawkins says textbooks in her school bookstore, like most universities, are extremely over priced.

The National Association of College Stores says the average college student spends $655 on textbooks each year, but depending on the course it can be much higher.

College Board estimates the annual cost of books and materials at $1,168.

Hawkins goes on, “One semester I spent almost eight-hundred dollars on I think six books.”

The new app Occupy The Bookstore is trying to prevent college students from paying an arm and a leg for textbooks. 

Students can download the app through Google Chrome, search a book on their school’s website, and can view competitive prices for the text from sources nationwide.

This feature is a big help for students like Hawkins who struggle when they can’t afford a book.

Hawkins goes on, “I will share a book with someone else, or I might go to the library and rent out a book for a couple hours or so. It’s really not a good situation.”

47 ABC sat down with Hawkins to see if the app would work for her classes, and sure enough it did.

You can see here her aviation book costs around fifty dollars in the school bookstore, but is only around twenty on the app.
 
Hawkins replies, “You can’t beat that.”
 
Hawkins says the app can also help with university price match programs, like the one at UMES.     

If a student can show proof that a website is selling the book for cheaper than the one in the bookstore, the school will match the price. Matching prices leaves students like Hawkins with some extra change in their pockets this semester.

The Occupy the Bookstore app works on any school’s textbook website that is supported by BNCollege, bkstr.com, or Neebo.