FAQ
Textbook Rental is a service included in UW-Whitewater's undergraduate tuition and technically not "free." A minimal segregated fee is paid for each semester to use the Textbook Rental program. It is approximately $108 a semester. This cost covers any textbooks checked out from Textbook Rental. There are no payments made at the Textbook Rental checkout.
Not always. Though the majority of Undergraduate Students' required textbooks will be in Textbook Rental, some departments do have required purchases. Books students must purchase are typically novels, online access codes, lab manuals, or textbooks with constantly changing content.
Textbook Rental works in two phases: check-out and return.
Checkouts: Students are responsible for finding their own textbooks in Textbook Rental. A student ID (Hawk Card) and a copy of the student's schedule are required to check out textbooks. The copy of the class schedule need to list the Class Department, Course Number, and Section Number (Ex: ENGLISH 101, Section 05). The shelves are arranged alphabetically by department, then numerically by course number. Each book being used that semester will have a sign underneath it with the course information. Match up the department, course, and section number on the sign to the class schedule and the book listed on the tag will be the one you need. After finding all the required textbooks, check out at the registers using your Hawk Card. Every book has an individual barcode that assigns the specific book to your account.
Returns: When returning textbooks, check-in at the registers first. Textbooks that are not checked back in will still be attached to your account and listed as "unreturned," resulting in late fees or even being fully charged to your account. You will receive another receipt after checking your books back in. Double check that receipt to make certain all books were scanned properly. Students must then re-shelve their own books. Return the books to the correct shelf. If you can't locate where the book goes, please ask for assistance.
Please ask for assistance if you can't find the book you are looking for. We only provide the textbooks that instructors inform Textbook Rental they are using. Once you go to class and get your syllabus, which usually has exact titles on it, we can more easily help you. We also do our best to make sure there are enough books for enrollment. However, when enrollment changes, we may run short on a few titles. If we run out of a textbook that's required for your class, we will order you another.
Textbook Rental is an undergraduate program only. Graduate students do not pay the Segregated Rental fee in their tuition and are therefore ineligible for Textbook Rental. Occassionally a rental option will be available and the rental fee will equal to the undergraduate seg fee.
Books are always due back the last day of the term. Late fees start the following morning. Click here for more information on our policies.
Yes. There is a form on our website that will need to be filled out as thoroughly as possible. Once submitted the in-store turnaround is usually less than 24 hours. Shipping does have a minimal cost associated with it, and can take up to a week most places in the U.S. Upon request, we can expedite shipping if the student is willing to pay the extra costs. We do not recommend international shipping. Order your textbooks on our website by going into your WINS >Class & Schedule>View My Classes>View/Purchase Course Books (top of screen). By clicking that link all of your textbooks that are needed for the semester will be preloaded into your cart through our website. You will have the option to select shipping or in-store pick-up.
- Late Fees: 30 days or less late = $10 fee per book, after 30 days late = $20 per book
- Unreturned Book Charge: 30 days after the due date any outstanding books will be billed to the student. This fee will be our replacement cost for the book.
- Dumped Book Charge: It is the student's responsibility to reshelf their own textbooks. Students who leave textbooks on the incorrect shelves will be fined $3.33 fine per book. The barcode on every book is attached to that student's ID. If assistance is needed to return textbooks, please contact us.
- Damaged Books: If a book is returned damaged, the student can be charged according to the damage the book has suffered. Highlighting in a book is considered damage but doesn't incur a huge fine. Water damage and torn pages can render the book unusable, forcing us to charge the full replacement value.
- Shipping Charges: When a student requests a book shipped, the shipping fee is charged to the student bill. Students are also required to pay return shipping.
Not often. We do not like charging students for books, and we never do it to profit from our students. When a student doesn't return a book on time Rental must purchase a replacement copy of that text in order to have enough copies for the next semester's students.
Dumped Books: We attempt to email every person attached to dumped books. You then have the option to return to Rental and properly shelve your books instead of paying the fine.
Damaged Books: Damaged books are what they are. Depending on what caused the damage you may be able to include them in an insurance claim. Unfortunately, rental must charge you for them, and you'll have to get your money back in the claim.
Late Charges: Late fees can be reversed when there is a serious life event such as a death in the family, hospitalization, or other traumatic events. Things like moving, leaving campus early, vacations, or having someone else return your book(s) are not acceptable reasons for reversals.
Unreturned Books: These charges work similarly to late fees and damaged books, and are rarely reversed. Lost, mixed up, stolen books, etc. do not qualify for a reversal of charges. The renter is responsible for making sure that the exact books they rented are returned on time.
