UA Receives $300,000 Grant to Expand Textbook Rental Program

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama Supply Store has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand its textbook rental program.

UA is one of 30 institutions nationwide, and the only institution in the state of Alabama, selected to receive the federal funding to help make textbooks more affordable for students. The grants are part of the College Course Materials Rental Initiative Program which passed through Congress last year as part of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act.

UA’s SUPe Store piloted a textbook rental program this fall, beginning with three courses.

The SUPe Store and the UA Student Government Association worked together to obtain the grant and to establish the textbook rental program.

“This grant will allow us to expand and develop our textbook rental program for UA,” said Bernadette Chavira-Trull, SUPe Store associate director for books. “We’re always looking for ways to reduce costs for course materials for students and this is a great opportunity.”

“It is a mission of the Student Government Association to reduce the burden of high textbook cost through creative initiatives such as the textbook rental program,” said James Fowler, SGA vice president for external affairs. “We are pleased with the success of the textbook rental program to this point, but we look forward to even more success as we expand the program to more class sections in the coming semesters.”

Textbook rental is just one of a number of programs UA has implemented to cut textbook costs for students. Over the last several years, the SUPe Store has added more economical textbook options, including binder-ready textbooks, digital books and paperback books.

The grant will cover about 42 percent of the cost of the textbook rental program, with the remainder supported by the Supply Store.