Students may begin renting textbooks the week prior to the start of classes.

Online Campus students only may request textbooks as soon as their registration is finalized, but books will not ship until the week before classes begin.

For second 8-week classes you can pick up your books the week before your class starts. This ensures that both first and second 8-week classes have enough textbooks.

All you need is to be enrolled in the class and your Southeast Missouri State University student ID, or an official picture ID and your student number. We cannot use your social security number to rent books.

Main Campus– Textbook Rental is located in the basement of Kent Library. The entrance is located on the east side of Kent Library. Students who are enrolled in classes held on the main campus will need to rent their books at the main campus Textbook Rental location.

Regional Campus (Kennett and Sikeston) – If taking classes at a Regional Campus, you will pick up your rental books at the regional campus's central office.

Online Campus – Online campus students who only take online classes may place their book request by submitting their textbook request using our Web order form and the textbooks will be shipped to your home address. If you are an online student who lives locally, you can save on shipping expenses by visiting the Textbook Rental department to pick up your books.

You may return your textbooks anytime during the semester during business hours. All rental textbooks are due by 4:00 p.m. on the Monday after finals. For Online Campus students, the postmark needs to be the Monday after finals.

Effective August 1, 2021

Students who rent their textbooks through the Southeast Missouri State University Textbook Rental Program agree to the terms and conditions of the Textbook Rental and Return Policy.

All Textbook Rental books must be returned or postmarked NO LATER than 4 p.m. the Monday after finals of the current semester to avoid any additional charges. Textbooks returned after the due date will be charged a $12 late charge per book up to 14 calendar days from the due date. Textbooks not returned within the allowable period will be charged the publisher's list price for a new replacement copy of the textbook. Both late charges and replacement costs will be applied to a student’s University account.

Textbook Rental books must be returned in satisfactory condition. All returned textbooks are checked for damage after they are returned. If a textbook is returned with excessive damage beyond normal wear and tear, a student’s University account will be charged the publisher's list price for a new replacement copy of the textbook. Excessive damage includes but is not limited to water damage, mold, strong odors, chewed or bite marks, missing covers, missing pages, missing book labels, excessive highlighting, pages sticking together, stained, etc.

Main Campus Students – You may return your textbooks in person at Textbook Rental. During finals week, you may also return your textbooks to Towers Complex or the River Campus. An after-hour drop box available for two weeks after the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The drop box is located on the Textbook Rental door on the east side of Kent Library (across from Dearmont/new Blunt Hall).

Regional Campus Students – You may return your textbooks in person at your regional campus. Please check your campus for hours.

Online Campus Students (also available for all students) – You may return your textbooks postmarked no later than the due date to the address below. Please make sure all returned textbooks have a tracking number for your protection. Textbook Rental is not responsible for lost textbooks.

Textbook Rental
610 Washington Ave
North Dock
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

There are a few places to return your books.

Textbook Rental - Located in the basement of Kent Library.

Towers Complex - During finals week for the fall and spring semesters, you may return your books in the Towers Complex Lobby at the kiosk set up by Textbook Rental. The hours are Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Friday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

River Campus - During finals week for the fall and spring semesters, you may return your books at the Art Resource Center (Seminary Building), Monday-Wednesday 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Regional Campus - Please check the Kennett and Sikeston offices for hours.

The Book Return Drop chute - Located in Textbook Rental's exterior entrance doors. It will be available beginning the Monday finals and remain open for 14 days following the due date, thus giving students the ability to return textbooks after hours.

Return by Mail - Online Campus students and those who cannot make it to campus, may return textbooks by mail.

Outlined below are some important notes about shipping your textbook to the campus.

• Use a strong box that can handle the weight of the books.
• Do not use paper envelopes, they will often tear or come open during transit! If you ship a book in this manner, you will be responsible should the book be lost in transit or damaged when it is received at Textbook Rental.
• Make sure that there is packing material in the box to help protect books.
• Make sure that the package is secured with enough tape.
• If you are reusing a box, cover any previous labels and markings with a heavy black marker.
• Return shipping is at the student’s expense.
• Please use a traceable method of shipping when returning your books.
• Textbook Rental is not liable for lost or damaged packages.
• The package should be postmarked on or before the due date to avoid any late charges as we process mail returns based on the postmark date.
• Textbooks may be shipped to:

  Textbook Rental
  610 Washington Avenue
  North Dock
  Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

Bring your Student ID with you to return your textbooks. The staff member will scan your ID and give you a receipt, showing the status of all your textbooks.

You may, also, login to MySEMO. Use the search bar to locate “Textbook Rental Detail,” and follow the prompts.

In order to buy the book and have the original rental fee applied to the purchase price, before the due date login to MySEMO. Use the search bar to locate “Textbook Rental Detail,” and follow the prompts to buy your book. All sales are final!

If lost, check to see if the book has been returned by checking Textbook Rental Detail on the Portal or contact Textbook Rental. If the textbook has not been returned, you will be billed for the lost textbook, and you can rent another textbook. If during the semester the lost textbook is returned to Textbook Rental, the charges will be dropped and credited to your account.

If your book is damaged, and we cannot use it again, you’ll be charged the replacement price of the book.

Satisfactory condition is considered normal wear and tear. The books have all the pages, no partially torn pages, free of damage to the cover and spine, no stains, have been kept dray, free of excessive writing and highlighting, no strong odors, and the Textbook Rental label has not been tampered with are some of the things that we look for when books are returned.

Shipping is available only Online Campus students. Main Campus and Regional Campus students may pick up their books in person.

Domestic Shipping – This applies for the contiguous United States. A rate of $14.95 for the first rental book and $3.95 for each additional book per order/shipment is applied to your University account. We ship UPS Ground, so we must have a physical address. Orders ship same business day or next business day of when the order was placed. All orders are insured. Students are provided with a tracking number and will be emailed any shipping delays.

International Shipping – This applies to U.S. territories, Hawaii, Alaska, and other countries. International orders will have a higher shipping rate with the charge being determined by the weight and delivery location. The appropriate shipping charges will be communicated via email to you for your approval. Once you have provided us with your approval, your order will be processed. Please allow additional time to complete your order. The shipping charge will be charged to your University account.

Other Shipping Information – We can ship your books next day or two-day depending on the location only at your request; this can be very costly as it depends on the weight and where it is going. In-state Missouri orders are not eligible for two-day shipping.

When you receive your books, please compare your rental checkout receipt to your shipment. Please inform us of any discrepancies or damages as soon as possible but no later than one week after classes begin.

Simply follow these guidelines when filling out your order form or email us at [email protected] with the information below:

• The Country must be the United States
• The City must be entered as either APO or FPO
• The State must be entered as Armed Forces America, Armed Forces Europe, or Armed Forces Pacific
• You must enter your Zip Code
• Always include your Full Name, Grade, and PSC or Unit Number

These orders will be shipped UPS. Please allow additional time to complete your order. The shipping charge will be charged to your University account.

The Textbook Rental fee is $38 plus tax per course, not per book; $55 plus tax for select graduate courses. The rental fee charge occurs when the student checks out the textbook. No rental fee will be charged if textbooks are not checked out.

No, the rental fees will be charged to your University account and will be included on your SEMO billing statement.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) passed by Congress in 1974, which protects the confidentiality of student’s educational records, so because you are a student, you must make the inquiry.

No, you may only rent textbooks for those courses you are enrolled in. This ensures that the student who is enrolled in this class will have a book available for them to use.

Let us know as soon as possible so we can discuss the issue and develop a plan to get you the textbooks you need.

You should return your 1st 8-week textbooks as soon as that class is over. Pick up your textbooks for 2nd 8-week classes the week before your class starts. This ensures that both 1st and 2nd 8-week classes have enough textbooks.

Highlighting and writing in rented textbooks is permitted within an amount considered “normal” and the textbook remains in satisfactory condition. Excessive highlighting/writing in the textbook will not be accepted.

You are not required to rent your textbooks from us, but it is usually the cheapest route. You can look up the required course book information using the Textbook Rental Book Lookup, it will display the Title, ISBN and how much you will save by renting it through Textbook Rental.

Southeast Bookstore carries all extra supplies, located on the 1st floor of the University Center.

Textbook Rental follows the same refund schedule as incidental fees. Refunds will be based on the day the book is returned. The return schedule can be found on the Financial Aid Calendar.

It will be refunded based on the day you return the textbook. Be certain the textbook(s) checked out are the ones actually needed and the instructor requires it. If unsure, we will be happy to help.

Each of our rental books has a unique identifying number on the front label; this book ID number is attached to the student who checks out that book. If the student who has your book returns it on time, everything will be okay, but if the student who has your textbook doesn’t return it on time, you will be charged the replacement cost of the book even if you returned theirs. You can see your book numbers on the MySEMO Portal, enter Textbook Rental Detail in the search bar and follow prompts.

Each of our rental books has a unique identifying number on the front label; this book ID number is attached to the student who checks out that book. If the student who has your book returns it on time, everything will be okay, but if the student who has your textbook doesn’t return it on time, you will be charged the replacement cost of the book even if you returned theirs. You can see your book numbers on the MySEMO Portal, enter Textbook Rental Detail in the search bar and follow prompts.

To avoid additional charges, all Rented Textbooks should be shipped with a postmark of the Monday after finals or earlier to: Textbook Rental, 610 Washington Avenue, North Dock, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

If you miss the due date, your student account will be charged the replacement price of the textbook, along with the original rental fee. The book will be yours to keep. We understand that emergencies happen; if you were unable to return your rented textbooks due to reasons beyond your control, you can try to appeal the charges.

This could be because:

• The books have not reached us yet. We check in books by the postmark date on the package. So if they are postmarked on or before the Monday deadline, those charges will be reversed. (Media mail can take up to 30+ days to be delivered.)
• The books have gotten lost in transit. If this is the case, contact the shipper as soon as possible. Textbook Rental is not responsible for lost textbooks.

With a Southeast Missouri State University student ID card it will make checking in/out your books a lot faster. We encourage students to get a Southeast Missouri State University ID card (University Center, third floor, information desk).

Renting your textbooks is a great way to cut your textbook expenses without compromising your educational experience. Also, you won’t have to worry about selling your books back at the end of the semester as long as you remember to return them before the deadline.

Other benefits include:

• Rental period – Students rent their books for the current semester and are expected to return them by Monday following finals.
• Cost – Our system offers a set rental fee of $38 plus tax per course, $55 plus tax for select graduate courses, regardless of the number of rental textbooks used for that course. You will pay, on average, less than half the price of the new textbook if purchased.
• New/Used Rental Textbooks – Whether the book is new or used, the rental price is the same.
• Convenience – You won’t need to search for your books because they’re all located in one location. Students taking online courses may order their rental textbooks through our website or by calling to pick them up at the main campus or ship them directly to their homes for a minimal charge.
• Choices – Students who visit the Textbook Rental to pick up their books have the added benefit of looking at the book before renting it.
• Payment – Textbook Rental charges the student's account for the rental fees, which are included in the student's University billing statement.
• Textbook Identification Numbers – Each of our rental books has a unique identifying number on the front label; this book ID number is attached to the student who checks out that book. This helps know who has rented the book.
• Options – You can purchase your rented book during the rental term if you choose, and the rental fee will be removed, and you will only pay the price of the book. If you don’t want the book, just return it before the due date, and you will only pay the rental fee.