In an effort to go a little easier on students’ pocketbooks while benefitting the student-government organization, the University of Nevada, Reno’s student-owned bookstore has joined with Chegg.com to pilot a textbook-rental option. Renting textbooks often saves students money, and doing so through Chegg.com now means the campus bookstore, owned and operated by the Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN), also benefits through a revenue-sharing agreement. In addition to the option to rent textbooks online, Chegg.com will place three rental stands on campus this summer.

“It is our intent to continue to look into and have lower-cost alternatives for our students,” said Marie Stewart, director of the ASUN Bookstore.

It’s that same sentiment that has driven Chegg.com to become the number-one online textbook rental company. Founded in July 2007, Chegg.com serves students on more than 6,400 campuses nationwide, offers access to more than 4.2 million titles, and was recently named to the Wall Street Journal’s “Next Big Thing: Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies.”

Approximately 800 University of Nevada students are current renters with Chegg.com. “It’s smarter to bring this program to campus rather than students taking their business off campus,” said Stewart.

“Chegg.com’s mission is to save students time and money,” said Nathan Schultz, vice president of Chegg’s Supply Chain Management. “This partnership brings the textbook-rental option directly to University of Nevada, Reno students, providing a convenient and familiar bookstore experience.”

Chegg.com has also partnered with Fresno State and California State University at Long Beach, providing each university rental stands and marketing support. Chegg.com is sharing a portion of its revenue from its rentals by University students with the ASUN bookstore, and as a part of the company’s on-going environmental efforts, they plant a tree every time a student rents from Chegg.com through a partnership with American Forests’ Global ReLeaf program.

“This program helps us to better manage our inventory and overall saves students money,” Stewart said. “It truly is a partnership.”

In the last three years, the ASUN Bookstore has funded over $1 million in benefits to the campus community, including the creation of a student-seating section at Lawlor Events Center, intramural fields, and a variety of scholarships. The ASUN Bookstore has also taken measures through the years to help keep textbook costs down, establishing a faculty resource center online and working closely with professors to help select the best book options for students.

For more information, visit Chegg.com or the ASUN Bookstore online.