School Books Rental Scheme. A guide on how to benefit from your school's School Book Rental Scheme this year

The School Book Rental Scheme, which is a scheme available in some schools that loan textbooks to children for a rental fee, was provided with €15 million in funds in the 2014 budget and is available for all primary schools to make application - even those with existing schemes in place.

Buying school books for your children can be very costly for parents especially if they have more than one child at school level. This scheme allows schools to buy school books and then rent them out to students at a much lower cost than if a parent was to buy.

The schemes operate in many secondary and primary level and are run by the schools, and sometimes with the help a Parents’ Association.

How does it work?

If your child’s school is part of the scheme, or you are entering your child into school for the first time, the school will provide information on their own School Book Rental scheme and what textbooks the scheme will cover, what you may need to buy, and how much you pay for that school year.

After your rental fee has been paid you will receive the books required and then return the books at the end of the year. Sometimes a deposit is taken when you pay your rental fee and returned if the books are returned in good condition at the end of the year.

How parents can help

Parents are asked to support the rental scheme in an number of ways. One of the most important ways is to ensure that the child looks after the school books and keeps it in good condition so it can be used again the following year. Also, by volunteering to assist those who are operating the book rental scheme in your school, you can help bring the costs down by sharing the workload. Parents are asked to volunteer by helping cover the school books, by sorting, tagging and checking books before they are given to students, by collecting fees, and by offering assistance at fundraising events to help raise funds for the school when buying new school books.

If your child’s school has no book rental scheme, parents are encouraged to help introduce the scheme at schools that are not part of the program. If you would like to introduce the scheme at your school please read this Guide for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in schools.

If your school doesn't have a School Book Rental scheme in place and you have to buy the books yourself, make sure to check out these great school book offers and also to have a look at our second-hand school book section for some great value.