Do you want to buy your books and supplies before the semester begins, but are low on funds until you receive your first financial aid disbursement? You may qualify for a bookstore line of credit! The bookstore line of credit is available to eligible students in advance of the Fall and Spring semesters.
Eligibility
The bookstore line of credit program allows students who meet the following requirements to use up to $750 of their financial aid at the Los Rios bookstore. You are eligible if you:
- Have been awarded a Federal Pell and/or Cal Grant, and have an authorized disbursement
- Are a California resident for tuition purposes, or have a nonresident tuition exemption
- Have a financial aid award that exceeds tuition and fees for the semester
- Are enrolled in at least six (6) financial aid course applicable units
With a bookstore line of credit, you can charge your student account for the cost of course materials (textbooks, access codes, and so on) and school supplies purchased from the bookstore.
Students who meet the requirements automatically receive the bookstore line of credit. If you qualify for the line of credit, then you will receive an email at your preferred email address. The email will let you know that the line of credit is available, the line of credit's amount, and the last day you can use the line of credit. The line of credit is electronic and available as a credit at the Los Rios bookstore.
How to Use the Bookstore Line of Credit
Online
To use a bookstore line of credit at the online bookstore:
- During checkout, choose Financial Aid/Vouchers/VA/Certificates as your payment method.
- Click the Find Accounts button.
- The Los Rios Single-Sign On box will open. Log in using your Los Rios username (W + your 7-digit student ID) and password in the box.
- After you are logged in, the bookstore line of credit will display as Financial Aid Bookstore Line of Credit (with current semester noted).
In Store
To use your line of credit in the store, simply let the cashier know that you would like to use your financial aid line of credit to pay for your course materials. You will need to provide photo ID to complete the purchase.
When to Use the Bookstore Line of Credit
If you have other financial aid sources available (for example, an EOPS Book Voucher, textbook scholarship, and so on), then we recommend using those other sources first and using the financial aid bookstore line of credit last to pay any remaining balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the bookstore line of credit is not an additional financial aid award. It is an advance on your financial aid. Any items you buy using the bookstore line of credit will be charged to your student account and deducted from your financial aid.
For spring 2024, the bookstore line of credit will be available on December 4, 2023. The line of credit can be used for online purchases through January 12, 2024, and can be used in-store through January 13, 2024.
No – the deadline to use the bookstore line of credit coincides with the start of classes because, after that point, the financial aid office must reconcile students' financial aid accounts and disburse their funds, less any amount spent at the bookstore.
The good news is that you didn't lose this money. The unspent portion of your bookstore line of credit will be included in your regular financial aid disbursement, and you may spend it at the bookstore at that point.
Every student who meets the requirements will automatically receive a line of credit. During the line of credit period, an updated student file is sent daily to the bookstore. If you recently completed the requirements, then it may take a couple of days before your line of credit is available at the bookstore.
If it has been more than a couple of days and you haven't received a line of credit, then contact American River College's Financial Aid Office. They will help you to determine why you haven't received your line of credit.
No, students may choose how much of the line of credit to use. We will only charge the amount used to a student's account.
No, students can make as many purchases as they want until they have spent the full amount of the line of credit or until the charge period closes, whichever comes first.
In cases where a student's financial aid eligibility changes and their financial aid funds are not enough to cover their bookstore line of credit charges, they will have a hold placed on their account. Those students will be ineligible for a bookstore line of credit in subsequent terms until they have repaid the remaining balance.
The total amount you charge using the bookstore line of credit will appear as Bookstore Charges on your Los Rios student account in eServices. The charge will post to your account the first week of the semester, before the first financial aid disbursement.
Yes, but you are still required to set up a valid rental account. Rental accounts require that you have a credit card on file as collateral for any unreturned books. For more information on setting up a rental account, visit the rental section of the bookstore website.
During the bookstore line of credit period, you can return items in accordance with the bookstore return policy. The amount of the return will be added back to your bookstore line of credit and available for use through the last day of the line of credit period. After the line of credit period closes, refunds on returned items will be issued in cash for in-person refunds and via gift card for online returns.