DETROIT -- Cengage Learning, a Connecticut-based company, is one of the nation's largest textbook publishers. The company recently announced it plans to rent textbooks to students in an effort to make them more affordable.

Students would pay the rental fee and receive immediate access to the first chapter of the textbook online. Cengage would then ship the book directly to the student. The rental period would be between 60 and 120 days. When the rental period is up, students would have the option to return the book or buy it.

Cengage Learning has information available on its Web site. The site lists which titles will be available when the program starts in December.

Cengage Learning plans to add more titles to that list in July.

The National Association of College Stores issued this statement in connection with Cengage's offer to students:
"This was a business decision that Cengage felt it needed to make. We at the National Association of College Stores obviously do not support that decision. We believe that a college's bookstore adds value to the textbook purchase that is reflected in superior customer service and an unparalleled knowledge of its campus and student body. As the primary channel for the dissemination of textbooks, we would have preferred that Cengage work directly with college stores."