Yes, You Can Use Your Financial Aid To Buy Books!

by Reese Zulinke · Published June 2, 2021 · Updated November 28, 2023

EFSC financial aid disburses after school starts, but you need books when class begins. What to do? If your anticipated financial aid exceeds the charges on your EFSC billing account, you’ll be eligible for a book voucher. A book voucher lets you purchase your books from the EFSC Bookstore prior to your financial aid being disbursed and refunded. If you use a book voucher, the charges for the materials and supplies you purchase will be added to your EFSC billing account before your financial aid is refunded.

How Does a Book Voucher Work?

If you have more financial aid for the semester than what is needed to pay your tuition and fees, then you’ll be eligible for a book voucher. If you qualify for a book voucher, you can log in to myEFSC and look for the section called “Book Voucher” (you may not see it until the voucher populates on your account). In this section, you’ll see the amount of your voucher and the dates on which it can be used. Learn more about when book vouchers become available.

Next, you can visit any EFSC Campus Bookstore with a copy of your course schedule and photo ID — or you can use your voucher online through the EFSC Bookstore’s search and purchase tool. Be sure to indicate at check-out that you are using a financial aid book voucher.

Helpful Tips

If you have classes that start during different parts of the term, such as a class that starts in August and a class that starts in September, we’ll issue you two separate book vouchers: one for the earlier class and one for the later class.
The EFSC Bookstore offers price matching, so if you find a book for a lower price from an outside vendor, you can contact them to purchase it for that amount!
You can only use book vouchers to purchase books and certain classroom supplies. Some restrictions might apply to electronic materials. If needed, you can request an increase to your book voucher amount by submitting a Book Voucher Increase Request Form.
Refunds for returning books or supplies you purchased with a book voucher get credited to your EFSC student billing account.
Dropping or withdrawing from registered classes, not attending registered classes, or ceasing to attend registered classes can reduce the amount of aid you’re eligible for. If you already purchased books using a book voucher and are in one of these scenarios, it could result in you owing a balance to EFSC.

Questions?

If you have questions about book vouchers, financial aid specialists are available to help you get the answers you’re looking for. Reach out to finaid@easternflorida.edu from your Titan student email account or call us Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 7 PM at 321-433-7339.

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Reese Zulinke

Reese previously worked in EFSC's Financial Aid Office, in the business of helping students understand the what, when, where and why of paying for college. Some people might say that financial aid is a scary topic, but the more you know about it, the less scary it is! If you're searching for more financial aid information, have a look around the Splash of the Titans blog, where you'll find helpful material and tips.