Textbook Costs

Students can buy textbooks at the UH Hilo Bookstore after they have registered for classes.  Most classes require one or more books, although some professors might only use online resources instead of textbooks.  You can go to the Bookstore on campus or order your textbooks online.   For some classes, you can rent textbooks.  Usually the cost of renting a textbook is less than half of the cost of purchasing.  However, not all classes offer the option of textbook rental.  If it is available, this is a good option for reducing the cost of textbooks.  Visit the Bookstore website for more information.

The total cost for textbooks varies widely depending on the classes you are taking.  Typically the total cost for textbooks in a semester is between $300 and $600.  You need to plan to have money available to purchase textbooks when you arrive, as often they are required and are used in the first week of class.

Some students choose to buy books through online resources such as Amazon or Textbook.com.  There are many online resources available and often the cost of books is lower online.  If you choose to order textbooks online, it is important to remember that there may be extra shipping charges to Hawai’i and the time of delivery can be longer.