<p>coop is jumping on the textbook rental bandwagon. just FYI</p>
<p>Is there any possible way to buy books using financial aid? We’ll have it right before school starts, so I suppose I can go over to the co-op and hope that they still have all the books I need. But I would hate for them not to, then to have to try and order it somewhere else and wait a year and a half for shipping. </p>
<p>Pretty much definitely don’t have the money to buy them now, even with shopping around for the cheapest of the cheap.</p>
<p>^ So, you’re expecting to receive a check with excess financial aid money after it pays for your tuition and housing? If so, you will get it during the first few class days, I believe. Although it depends entirely on when your funds are released if it’s a scholarship. My roommate’s Geosciences scholarship didn’t arrive until around late September, although that was when housing was due anyway (Oct 1st).</p>
<p>The Co-op has plenty of books in stock, especially for the larger classes. There are always extras that they just save for the next year. Most people don’t buy books until after getting their syllabus on the first day of that class. So if a class is Monday only, you won’t even have the first day of class until the 2nd week of school. The co-op knows this and has books readily in stock for people like that.</p>
<p>Although I HIGHLY recommend ordering from somewhere like Half.com and not buying from the co-op, even used. It’s not worth it.</p>
<p>You could buy with a credit card online (I mean, it’s online anyway, you have to use a card) during the first few days of class. I ordered a book on half.com and it arrived in less than a week, with regular Media Mail shipping. First class mail would be even faster (if it’s a very very light book). No need to pay for expedited, although that guarantees 2-3 days and it’s like $2 more.</p>
<p>Here’s my logic for the credit card: If I buy books on August 24th (the day after my credit card statement for the previous month arrives) it won’t appear on a credit card bill until my September 23rd statement. I then have until October 22nd to pay that statement before incurring interest charges. So, I basically get a “free” 2 month loan and by that time my financial aid money is SURE to have arrived [hypothetical here, I don’t get financial aid money.]</p>
<p>That’s the beauty of credit cards for people who always pay it off, it’s a free loan for a month or two.</p>
<p>[Plus I get cash back and rewards on my card, which makes the book actually cheaper!]</p>
<p>Yes, my scholarship covers the estimated COA, which has 600 just for books each semester. And it should be applied by the time school starts, in theory of course. Otherwise a credit card should work, so thank you for the reassurance of availability. :]</p>