Follett Higher Education Group's Rent-A-Text Saves Students Nearly $90 Million in Just Three Months

OAK BROOK, Ill., Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Follett Higher Education Group's Rent-A-Text continues to grow, and remains the most popular choice for students looking to save big on course materials. Just this fall, students across the country saved nearly $90 million compared to the cost of buying new books by using Rent-A-Text. Students also bought more CafeScribe® digital textbooks as sales more than doubled compared to last year's figures.  

"The growth and popularity of both Rent-A-Text and CafeScribe® digital textbooks show that we have been successful in meeting the evolving needs of our customers," said Thomas A. Christopher, President of Follett Higher Education Group. "We will continue to grow our offerings to ensure students have more choices and better access to affordable course materials on all of the campuses we serve, both in-store and online."

Textbook rentals doubled this year compared to last, making Follett's Rent-A-Text the fastest growing in-store and online bookstore rental program. The company has already rented more than 4.5 million textbooks and saved students more than $215 million. Follett's rental programs are expected to save students more than $200 million in the 2011-2012 academic year alone.  

Students at California State University Northridge took full advantage of the rental options available at the Matador Bookstore and rented approximately 25,000 books, more than any other Rent-A-Text school. The most popular rental title for the fall semester was "They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing," (W.W. Norton & Company).

In a national survey conducted by Follett this September, 99 percent of students expressed satisfaction for the program and a majority of students said they had a better opinion of their bookstore after using Rent-A-Text. Students also reported buying additional course materials and textbooks with their savings.

Rent-A-Text is available at more than 860 Follett-managed bookstores in the United States and Canada. The program provides savings, on average, of 50 percent or more compared to new textbook prices and is also available online through efollett.com. As a leader in the textbook industry, Follett also offers rental solutions to virtual and independently-managed bookstores.  

Explosion in Digital Sales

This fall, Follett announced a new version of its CafeScribe® platform that makes digital textbooks smarter with better study tools, more accessibility on different types of devices and more book titles than ever before.  

Already, students are taking advantage of the CafeScribe® application's unique study tools with hundreds of thousands of highlights, notes and bookmarks created. One of the many dynamic tools available through the new version of the product is Snap Summary, which allows users to quickly and easily compile their notes and highlights into a powerful study and reference tool.

"The CafeScribe® application is truly a dynamic digital textbook platform that allows students to interact with their textbooks," said Christopher. "We are committed to serving the current and future needs of the academic community and we are confident that CafeScribe® digital textbooks will continue to be an affordable and reliable choice for our students."

During the fall semester, "Guide to First-Year Composition" (CafeCustom) topped the charts as the best selling digital title, and students at Florida State College at Jacksonville bought the most digital textbooks.  Students at Ivy Tech Community College, Trine University, University of Texas and Arizona State University were also strong adopters of digital course materials. Confirming Follett's belief that digital content will take hold first in problem-based disciplines, students in accounting, mathematics and computer science bought the most digital titles this fall.  

CafeScribe® digital textbooks are available at CafeScribe.com, Follett campus stores, independently-managed bookstores and through efollett.com, the most visited-collegiate ecommerce site. To provide students with the opportunity to experiment with digital for free, Follett offers three-day trials for most CafeScribe® titles. The company created the Try Now, Buy Later program because it found that after using digital textbooks, two-thirds of students prefer the option to print.

For the most up-to-date list of Follett-managed campuses and virtual bookstores offering Rent-A-Text, visit www.rent-a-text.com. For more information on Follett Textbook Rental for independent bookstores, visit www.follettbooks.com. For more information on CafeScribe®, visit www.cafescribe.com.  

About Follett Higher Education Group

Follett Higher Education Group of Oak Brook, Illinois, is the leading provider of bookstore services and the foremost supplier of used books in North America. Follett services five million students and over 400,000 faculty members through more than 930 stores. Follett also services more than 1,600 independent campus stores with its wholesale services, and has the most visited ecommerce collegiate website, efollett.com, that provides services and products through a network of more than 900 campus stores.

About Follett

Follett Corporation is a $2.7 billion, privately-held company that provides products, services and solutions to the educational marketplace. Follett Corporation was founded in 1873, and today is headquartered in River Grove, Illinois.

SOURCE Follett Higher Education Group