Financial Aid For College Textbooks

Q: Can I use my federal financial aid for college textbooks, or do I need to use private student loans to pay for my textbooks?

A: Both federal financial aid for college and private student loans can be used for college tuition and related expenses, including the costs of college textbooks. Students do not need to take out private student loans simply to pay for their college textbooks. It is recommended that college students exhaust all of their federal financial aid and free money for college options (i.e. college scholarships) before considering private student loans. Federal financial aid for college can offer students low, fix interest rate student loans and federal grants, which like scholarships, provide money for college that does not need to be repaid.

College textbooks can be an expensive requirement towards the costs of college, but students do have some other options in addition to purchasing the required course textbooks. Renting college textbooks, buying used textbooks, sharing college textbooks with a roommate, and/or purchasing e-textbooks may be lower cost options for some students depending on each student’s courses and situation.