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# College Textbook Costs, In Their Words: Susan Letsch, Buena Vista University
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/college-textbook-costs-in-their-words-susan-letsch-buena-vista-university/
- Published: 2018-05-08T09:00:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T02:39:15.000Z
- Author: Alyssa Renae
- Tags: Education, iowawatch, Buena Vista University, college costs, college textbooks, higher education costs, learning, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

Q: How much did you pay for all textbooks, hard copy and e-textbooks, this semester? We need actual costs, not guesses or vague statements, such as “a lot.”

**Susan Letsch: This semester I’ve spent an estimated $250 on textbooks.**

##### Susan Letsch, 21  
Buena Vista University  
Spring 2018 junior  
Hometown: Le Mars, Iowa  
Major: Social Work and Criminal Justice

A: What was your most expensive book, and how much did it cost?

**Letsch: Most of the books I rented this year, but my most expensive book would probably be my brand new, um, art book. And that was more than $100 itself.**

A: How often you use your textbooks?

**Letsch: Once in a long time, like every four months. I have only used it once this semester started.**

Q: How much did you spend on e-textbooks this semester?

**Letsch: I did not get any E-textbooks.**

A: How often do you use the Internet vs textbooks?

**Letsch: I use my computer every day, but I don’t think it’s the same. I’m not using any material from the book.**

A: Did you resell your books from last semester, and if so, how much money did you get?

**Letsch: I sold them back to the bookstore last semester and the bookstore gave me like 15 dollars for 600 dollars worth of books.**

A: Does the value you get from your textbooks match what you pay for them?

**Letsch: I think it depends on the class, but most of the time; no.**

A: Have you ever ordered your textbooks from the school bookstore?

**Letsch: Absolutely, not.**

A: Where do you mostly get your books from?

**Letsch: Amazon.**

A: And do you rent them or buy them?

**Letsch: I used to buy them every year because I wanted to be able to mark in them but this year they were too expensive so I had to rent all of them.**

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