The average Canadian student spends $500 to $1,000+ per year on textbooks, with science and engineering programs running higher. The University of Toronto recommends budgeting $1,000 to $2,000 per year for books and supplies. In the US, textbook costs increased 1,041% between 1977 and 2015. Canada faces the same pricing dynamics, driven by a handful of major publishers dominating the market.
You don’t have to pay full price. Work through these options in order before buying new.
Check If You Actually Need It
Don’t buy textbooks before the first week of class. Attend the first lecture and ask the professor how heavily the textbook will be used. Some courses list “required” textbooks that are barely referenced. Ask directly: “Is the textbook essential, or can I get by with lectures and other resources?” Most professors will give you an honest answer.
Also ask whether an older edition works. The differences between the 5th and 6th edition are often minor: reordered chapters, updated examples, new problem sets. If the professor says an older edition is fine, you can buy the previous version for a fraction of the price.
Find a Free Version
Open Educational Resources (OER) are free, peer-reviewed textbooks created by educators under open licenses. This is one of the most underused options available.
| Resource | What It Offers |
|---|---|
| OpenStax | Free peer-reviewed textbooks from Rice University covering physics, biology, statistics, math, economics, chemistry, psychology, and more. |
| BCcampus Open Collection | Hundreds of open textbooks used across Canadian classrooms. |
| eCampusOntario Open Library | 250+ free openly-licensed resources, built in partnership with BCcampus. |
| Open Textbook Library | University of Minnesota collection with peer reviews. |
| OASIS | Meta-search tool that searches 90+ OER sources at once. |
| LibreTexts | 12+ college-level disciplines, over 68,500 pages of content. |
A growing number of faculty now require OER in at least some of their courses. Some schools have gone further: Kwantlen Polytechnic University launched a full bachelor’s degree program where all course materials are free.
Use the Library
Your campus library is free and most students underuse it.
Course reserves. Many libraries work with professors to put required textbooks on reserve for 2 to 3 hour loan periods. Enough for a focused reading session or to photograph the pages you need.
E-books. University libraries often provide free digital access to textbooks through their catalogue or your school’s learning management system (Brightspace, Canvas).
Interlibrary loans. If your library doesn’t have a book, they can borrow it from another institution, usually for free.
Ask your professor. If a textbook isn’t available through the library, ask if a print copy can be placed on reserve. Many professors will do this if students ask.
Split With a Classmate
Buy one copy and share it. One person has the book Thursday to Saturday, the other takes it Sunday to Wednesday. You save 50% and you’ll end up discussing the material together. This works best when both people are organized about handoffs.
Rent It
If you only need a textbook for one semester, renting is cheaper than buying, even buying used.
- Amazon textbook rentals. Semester-length rentals at a fraction of the purchase price.
- Campus bookstores. Many now offer rental programs.
- Chegg. One of the largest textbook rental platforms.
- VitalSource. Digital textbook rentals.
Renting makes sense when you won’t need the book after the course and it doesn’t have resale value.
Buy Used
Used textbooks typically cost 50% or less compared to new.
Student-to-student sales are the cheapest option. Check your university’s Facebook buy/sell groups, campus bulletin boards, and Reddit communities. Ask students a year ahead of you in your program. A quick post in a university group usually connects you with sellers fast.
Online marketplaces:
- Scorpio Bookstore. Toronto-based, specializes in textbooks from Canadian universities.
- Book Buy Express. Canadian buyback service that accepts books with used access codes.
- Amazon (used section), AbeBooks, ThriftBooks
Campus bookstores carry pre-owned copies alongside new ones.
At the end of the semester, sell your textbooks back through buy/sell groups, campus bookstore buyback programs, or online buyback services to recoup some of the cost.
Go Digital
E-books and digital versions are often 40% to 60% cheaper than print, portable, searchable, and available immediately. Check if your library has digital access before paying for one.
Digital doesn’t work for everyone. If you learn better with physical books and handwritten notes, the extra cost may be worth it. Also watch for DRM restrictions on digital versions, and be aware that some digital access codes expire after a semester, leaving you with nothing to resell.
Check for Inclusive Access Programs
Many universities negotiate bulk discounts with publishers through “inclusive access” programs. Digital textbook costs get folded into course fees at a steep discount. Algonquin College secured 40% to 55% discounts across 4,500+ course sections this way, with materials available from day one. Students can opt out if they find a cheaper alternative.
Check with your bookstore or registrar’s office to see if your school has a program like this.
The Order of Operations
Before spending money on any textbook:
- Is it required? Wait for the first class and ask.
- Is there a free OER version? Check OpenStax, BCcampus, OASIS.
- Is it in the library? Check the catalogue, e-books, and course reserves.
- Can you share with a classmate? Split the cost.
- Can you rent it? Check Amazon, Chegg, VitalSource, campus bookstore.
- Can you buy it used? Check Facebook groups, Scorpio Bookstore, AbeBooks.
- Will an older edition work? Ask the professor.
- Last resort: buy new. Check for inclusive access discounts first.
Following this order can save you $500 to $1,000+ per year. Issue 3 of the newsletter covers what schools actually cost once you add textbooks and fees. For more on managing your overall student expenses, see our guide on how to budget on a student income.
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