During the next two weeks, those interested in shopping at the UNM Bookstore will have to show their Lobocards or prove they are enrolled in classes so students can benefit from a tax break on textbooks.
The main and medical and legal bookstores are offering a 5 percent discount on textbooks and course-related materials. The only catch is that state law prohibits the bookstore from opening to the public while making an exception to the sales tax.
As a result, only those with Lobocards, or those who can prove they are registered for classes, will be allowed in the Bookstore from Aug. 13-28. Parents also will be allowed to enter with students if they are shopping for textbooks together.
“NMSU has been doing this for this for awhile, and this is the first year we’ll be doing it at UNM,” said Dupuy Bateman, associate vice president of auxiliary enterprises. “We apologize to any customers we inconvenience. We haven’t done this in the past because we are such a retail-based store, but we wanted to reach out to students and offer them this discount.”
Bateman said that UNM has lobbied legislators during the past few years, asking them to amend the law so that it could offer the tax-free discount to students throughout the year.
“Basically the only exemption in the law that lets you remain open when offering products tax free is on water,” he said. “We want to expand that to textbooks and classroom-related materials.”
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ASUNM president Andrea Cook said she is excited about the tax break for students and thinks it will be beneficial despite the inconvenience of closing the bookstore to the public.
“Students spend anywhere from $400 to $600 on textbooks, so even a $30 discount really does go a long way,” she said. “When you’re spending that much, you really notice the difference.”
Cook said student government will make changing the law that forces UNM to close the bookstore to the public part of its lobby effort this year.
“We will work on making it clear how important it is to offer this discount to students year-round,” she said.
The main and legal and medical bookstores will have additional support staff to assist with the textbook rush and will be open for extended hours. Students also may sign up to use their Lobocards to charge their textbooks and class materials to their UNM accounts.
UNM Bookstore Extended Hours
Aug. 13-16
8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Aug. 17
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Aug. 18
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Aug. 19
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Aug. 20-23
8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Aug. 24
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Aug. 25
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Aug. 26
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Aug. 27-28
8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
