Bookstore FAQs for Students

How do I determine which books I need for a class?

There are two ways to determine which books you need for a class:

  1. There is a feature in my.CU that allows you to order and buy your books online. When you order your books online from the Bookmark, you get first crack at USED books, which can save you 25% off of the new book price.

    They'll be already packaged and waiting for you. Bring your student ID to the bookstore and immediately pickup your pre-ordered books for class.

    Even students using Financial Aid can use this feature. Just bring your voucher to the bookstore to retrieve your pre-ordered books!

    All you have to do is:
    • Log into my.CU
    • Click on the Students tab.
    • Click the Student Records link.
    • There will be an Order Books link that takes you to the online bookstore.
    • Click on the term and your list of books needed for the classes in which you have registered will be generated.
    • Buy your books!
    • Pick up your pre-packaged order when it is ready!

    An e-mail will alert you when your order is ready to be picked up.

  2. Bring your class schedule to the bookstore and check the textbook shelves to determine which books you need. The textbook area is arranged alphabetically by course. Each course is labeled with a shelf tag and is coded the same way as your class schedule. If you need help figuring out which class is which, ask one of the bookstore employees to assist you.

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Can I order my books online?

Yes. You can order your books online at the Bookstore Web site at cu-portland.bncollege.com. Keep in mind that all online book orders are filled and processed at the bookstore.

Although you do have the option of reserving or purchasing either new or used textbooks, the bookstore cannot guarantee the availability of used books for all assigned textbooks. This is because some textbooks are newly released, newly revised editions and there are no used books available for these editions. Also, there is a limited availability of used textbooks, so some titles cannot be obtained from used book suppliers.

If you prefer a used book, please check the appropriate box next to the book you wish to purchase. All orders are processed in the order they are received. So, if you place an order close to the start of class, you may not receive a used book even though you requested one.

All initial totals are calculated as if each book is new. The price may drop from the original quote if used books are available at the time your order is processed.

Once you have completed your order, you will receive two confirmation emails. The first one indicates that your order has been received by the bookstore. The second one lets you know when it is ready for pickup or when it was shipped.

The Bookstore accepts all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover), Barnes & Noble gift cards and student financial aid.

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Why do textbooks cost so much?

Traditional textbooks cost a lot of money for two main reasons:

  1. The cost to produce a textbook is much higher than a book you would buy in a regular bookstore. Textbooks are made to be used and abused by students. They have high-quality binding and are printed on high-quality paper. They also usually have extra features such as CDs, color graphics, and color photos.
  2. Textbooks have a limited market: students. They are not mass produced for a huge general audience like books found in regular bookstores. Therefore, because of the limited market, along with the high cost of production, publishers set higher prices for textbooks in order to make some sort of profit on the books they publish.

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Can I get my money back on a book if I drop a class or buy the wrong book for a class?

Yes. You have one week from the first day of class to receive a full refund on a book. If the book is new, it MUST be returned in the same condition in which it was purchased.

If you drop a class, you have one month from the first day of that class to return it. You must present a copy of the add/drop form signed by the registrar's office.

You must present your original receipt for any return or exchange and the original method of payment.

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Can I get my money back on a textbook if I drop a class half way through the semester?

If you drop a class, you have one month from the first day of that class to return it. You must present a copy of the add/drop form signed by the registrar's office.

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Can I sell my books back to the bookstore after I finish a class?

Yes. You can sell a book back to the bookstore any time.

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How do you determine how much money I will be paid for a book I sell back?

Any book being used during the next semester(s) will be bought back for 50% of the current retail price. However, only limited quantities are needed due to the needs of each class.

However, if a book is not being used the next term or is an old edition, the bookstore might purchase it on behalf of our used book partner MBS. Any book not being bought on their behalf will not be given a dollar value.

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You buy books back all the time. But, are there better times during the semester to sell back a book?

The best time to sell your books is at the end of each semester. At that time, the bookstore knows which books will be used during the next semester. Those books will be bought back at 50% of the price you paid for them.

Once the bookstore has reached the limit, the bookstore buys books on behalf of our used book partner. They assign a value, up to 25%, which is based on their need for a particular title. Most books bought during the middle of the semester are bought on behalf of our used book partner.

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My friend sold back a book at the end of a semester and got 50% of the purchase price back. But when I tried to sell back the same textbook, I got less. Why?

In many cases, the bookstore needs only a certain quantity of books for a class. After the bookstore has purchased that quantity of books, the need for that book drops along with the buyback price.

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I paid $100 for a new textbook at the beginning of a semester, but when I tried to sell it back, I got NOTHING for it. Why?

The publisher may have released a new edition of the textbook some time after the beginning of the semester. When this happens, the buyback value of a textbook may drop to zero because the need for that old edition becomes extremely limited.

There are exceptions: if a professor assigns an old edition of a recently revised textbook, the bookstore will pay 50% of the original price for the old edition.

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What if I have a textbook to sell back that hasn’t been revised but hasn’t been assigned to a future class? Can I still get money for it if I sell it back?

Yes. In this case, the bookstore will pay up to 25% of the book's original sale price. The buyback price in this case is determined by our used book partner.

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