<p>Can I buy textbooks with my financial aid if classes start 2 weeks before i receive my money? If so how does that work? Do I recieve a check after my fees for classes are subtracted?</p>
<p>Normally, financial aid funds are not released until a couple of weeks after classes start (however there may be a shorter time line if you are taking out loans and funds are coming back to you).</p>
<p>You would have to contact the financial aid office at your school. At some schools, they will release a portion of money to allow students to purchase books. For students who are in opportunity programs, the program will provide the student with book vouchers to get books.</p>
<p>Otherwise, most colleges will require a student contribution in their award letter. The student contribution is to be used for start-up costs; books, school supplies, initial travel to campus, until financial aid funds are released.</p>
<p>At the 2 schools I have experience, books could be charged to the bursar bill where FA (including loans) could be used to pay for them.</p>
<p>Drawback is that school bookstores are usually the most expensive place to buy the books.</p>
<p>I received the pell grant. My disbursement date is Sept. 10th but would the professors understand why I cant get my books until then? It doesn’t show any book advance money in my package or my student account.</p>
<p>Ask your school.</p>
<p>As I said, some schools will let you charge bookstore books to the bursar’s account. Only your school can tell you what their policy is.</p>
<p>For future semesters I would recommend trying to have some money set aside for text books. They are often available MUCH cheaper used on the internet. My daughter probably saved hundreds of dollars each semester that way.</p>
<p>I doubt that your profs will understand. I think students are expected to use some of their summer earnings to buy their books, even if later on they get a check later from their FA.</p>
<p>Did you earn any money over the summer</p>
<p>I hate to say it, but professors will not likely not understand. See if the books are available through the library to borrow… if you can share with another student… etc… until you can purchase the books yourself. :-)</p>
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<p>You are no longer in high school. The thing is about college, is that some professors will have an expectation that you have looked up the syllabus, purchased the book and have done the reading for the first day of class. The one thing about college, most professors are not doing to reread the book during their class time. There will be an expectation that you can contribute to the discussion. </p>
<p>Your professor may even post on-line assignments from the reading and you will be at a disadvantage. </p>
<p>Being 2 weeks behind in the reading can put you in the position, where you could dig yourself in a deep whole, especially if there are short papers due in a reading based class, problem sets in a math or science class and you do not have books.</p>
<p>I remember when I was in college, I had a professor who gave quizzes at the beginning of every class meeting to ensure that students did the reading. I remember my daughter laughing until she went to her freshman class and she had a professor who did the same thing.</p>
<p>If you have your course list and the text book information now, the second you have your student ID in your hot little fist run, do not walk, to the college library and see if the textbooks you need are on the shelf. If not, find out if the instructors have put them on reserve.</p>
<p>If the books are on the shelf, you can check them out and take them home to use until you are able to purchase your own copies. If they are on reserve, you will be able to use them in the library reserve room for a certain number of hours each day, but you may have to wait until some other students have had their turns.</p>
<p>I didn’t want to wait until last minute to get my books. I looked up the syllabi for my classes but they aren’t posted yet. I was only able to pull up 1 class. I emailed the professor with the address on the syllabus and she kindly told me that I can go online to the bookstore affiliated with the school and register with them and they will pull book money from my grant to pay. This was probably the nicest thing she could have done. And she also said that its wisest to wait until after my 1st day to make sure I buy the right books because most classes don’t use all required books. Her class has 2 on the list but she only wants us to buy 1 of them.</p>
<p>And i don’t have any money from the summer. I was homeless all through my senior year due to abusive parents and fear of belonging to the state. When I finally got a job it was minimum wage because of school and all my money went to rent and stuff. I didnt want to quit school so I struggled through. I have a better job now and im hoping i can keep going and make things better for myself</p>
<p>From what your professor recommended, it looks like there is a system in place that allows students to use part of their grant money directly at the bookstore. Speak with the Financial Aid Office tomorrow, and ask what the exact procedure is so that you can make the correct arrangements when you shop for your books.</p>
<p>I did. There is a system in place. When I asked before I wasnt told anything. Now I asked my prof she explained there was. I was able to get all the books I needed right on campus before I went to my first class.</p>
<p>good, glad that it all worked out</p>
<p>Great news! Have a terrific year!</p>