Kristopher Skinner / McClatchy-Tribune
University of California at Berkeley student Kevin Wu, center, carries an arm load of text books as he lines up to pay for them at the student store in Berkeley, Calif., on Jan. 27, 2014. Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
The average cost of textbooks and course materials fell by nearly $140 during the last school year from the beginning of the Great Recession, according to the National Association of College Stores.
The annual average cost of textbooks and course materials was $563 last year, compared to $701 in the 2007-08 school year, a decline that could be attributed to students renting and finding materials online.
To keep costs from escalating, the association suggests students shop early to have more options, choose used or electronic materials instead of brand-new textbooks, and keep receipts to return books or to apply for tax credits.