Maybe you showed up to campus to discover two mascots running around and for a split second you expected to hear “Oh barnacles!” from the short square one. Nope, it’s not Sponge Bob. It’s most likely you encountered the hero, Textbook Rebel, and his evil counterpart Mr.$200 Textbook.

These two characters have rapidly attained legendary status on the forty plus campuses they have visited in thirteen states. Ten thousand petition signatures later and over 9,500 miles on the road, Mr. $200 Textbook and Textbook Rebel are creating awareness and a micro revolution soon to go macro on university campuses nationwide.

Anyone who has attended a traditional college class is aware of the textbook pricing debauchery that exists. You show up at a local bookstore that sells used textbooks only to be told, “No, that textbook has been revised. Your professor said you must get the new edition complete with additional supplements.” So you fork over $50 instead of the $15 you could have bought the used book for.

For some classes, fifty dollars per textbook is considered cheap. God forbid you are communications major who is required to purchase The Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications for a whopping $1,500! You heard me correctly! It borders on textbook lunacy! Hence, the Textbook Revolution.

The Textbook Revolution was founded by a group of college students, not unlike yourself, who said enough is enough! With rising tuition costs and a volatile economy, students are increasingly finding themselves financially strapped and unable to purchase the outlandishly priced books necessary for class.

Textbook Revolution, as a movement, is comprised of students, faculty, parents, and anyone else who wants to see changes implemented within university systems that provide more affordable books. If you have not been fortunate enough to see Textbook Rebel and Mr. $200 Textbook, yet, on your college campus, a visit could be in the near future. The tour is just getting underway and you can help support the cause by signing the petition!

Furthermore, if you are looking to save money now, until such textbook changes are enacted, you can look into taking online coursework. Many of the required texts for the classes are offered at lower prices and sometimes even for free! Different online schools upload the texts for all of the students to use saving you time and money!

Consider renting your textbooks as well. This can save you the hassle and stress of trying to sell those expensively purchased texts at the end of the semester only to be told that they are nearly worthless. Remember, options exist to help cut costs without you having to sacrifice class participation or a lower grade because of the wrong book version and continue to be on the lookout for the Textbook Revolution arriving near you!

*guest blog post by Pamela