Even though removing the textbook rental fee cap was approved last semester, Eastern students picking up textbooks this weekend were surprised to discover they are now paying more money to rent their books.

Devin Jannotta, a sophomore mathematics major, was working at textbook rental services Saturday afternoon and had no clue she is paying $40 more for her books this semester than last.

“I want my $40!” she said. “I could go out and buy things at Wal-Mart!”

Jannotta is taking 17 credit hours this semester and is paying $135.15 to rent textbooks. Her textbook rental fee is calculated by multiplying the number of credit hours taken by the $7.95 credit hour rate.

Last year, however, Jannotta would have only paid $95.15 for her textbooks.

A student taking 12 or more semester hours previously paid a maximum amount of $95.15 to rent textbooks. Therefore, a student taking 12 hours and one taking 21 hours both paid $95.15 for their books.

Last semester the Board of Trustees, Eastern’s governing body, voted to remove the $95.15 textbook rental fee cap.

Now students like Jannotta taking more than 12 credit hours must pay the fixed rate of $7.95 for each additional hour beyond the twelfth. Dan Klingenberg, director of textbook rental services, said students taking more than 12 hours are most affected.

John Parente, an undecided freshman, agrees with Klingenberg. “It sucks for the people that are taking more credit hours,” he said.

“If you’re a full-time student, there should be a flat rate,” Jannotta said. “It’s only hurting students like me.”

Becky Hilmes, a freshman general education major, said the textbook rental increase came at a very bad time. “I don’t think they should have (increased book prices) because tuition just went up,” she said. “It just makes the students more in debt.”

Though everyone interviewed was unaware of the higher textbook prices, several students could not find a reason to complain.

“I personally think whether they’ve increased the fee a little or not, it’s still a better deal than paying a fortune to buy textbooks,” said Brenda Jost, a senior political science major taking 13 hours. “There’s so few schools in the nation that do what we’re doing, so I think it’s special.”

Klingenberg said he and the textbook rental services staff have not heard any complaints because students are happy to be renting textbooks instead of buying them.

At Eastern “they’re not having to pay four or five-hundred dollars for books,” Klingenberg said.

In fact, Eastern’s textbook program is among the cheapest of Illinois’ major state universities, Klingenberg said.

“SIU-Edwardsville is the only cheaper school,” he said.

Sarah Bramstedt, a senior English major with teacher certification, is taking 15 credit hours and is pleased with textbook rental services despite the removal of the $95.15 cap.

“If they don’t (raise prices) we’re going to have to buy our textbooks, which is going to be like $700 a semester,” she said.

Bramstedt thinks students haven’t been complaining because “if they’re aware, they know it’s better to rent their textbooks than buy them.”

While waiting outside textbook rental services for her daughter Diana, Audrey Soliwon said she did not have a problem with the textbook rental increase – even if she is paying the bill.

“Your textbook program is really good from the parent point of view,” she said.