Below are the commonly asked questions about the Bookstore Advance Program. If you need additional help, feel free to contact Niner Central.
The Bookstore Advance Program allows financial aid recipients to use approved financial aid funds in excess of the charges on a student's account to purchase books and supplies from UNC Charlotte’s campus Barnes & Noble bookstore.
- Go to UNC Charlotte’s campus Barnes & Noble bookstore in the Student Union.
- Go to the textbook sales floor and pick up your books.
- Go to the cash register and present your UNC Charlotte identification card and inform the cashier you are eligible to use the Bookstore Advance Program.
- Walk out with your books!
Or, use your BAP funds online. When purchasing online, choose BAP as the method of payment.
- You will receive an email if you are eligible for a Bookstore Advance (i.e., your anticipated financial aid must exceed your student account charges).
- If you did not receive an email, you are not eligible for a Bookstore Advance.
- To participate in the program, you must opt-in by completing the application form by the enrollment deadline stated in your email.
- Once your application is processed, you will receive an email notifying you of the exact Bookstore Advance amount that will be available to you. This amount will be available at the Barnes & Noble bookstore, and a preliminary charge for this amount will be placed on your student account.
Once you enroll in the Bookstore Advance Program, we will place a preliminary charge on your student account for the amount of your Bookstore Advance. At the end of Bookstore Advance Program period, any unused Bookstore Advance funds will be credited back to your student account.
You will not receive a Short Term Loan to purchase books if you participate in the Bookstore Advance Program. In the event the Bookstore Advance will not address your total need for textbooks or if you do not qualify for Bookstore Advance, you may apply for a Short Term Loan.
Yes, you must submit your application by the end of the Bookstore Advance Program enrollment period shown on this page.
No, there are no additional fees associated with Bookstore Advance enrollment or use. However, you will be responsible for any balance remaining on your student account after the offset of financial aid, and that failing to pay this balance by the eBill due date could result in collection activity.
Your eligibility is determined based on a snapshot of your student account at the time you complete the Bookstore Advance enrollment form. You will qualify for a purchase advance, provided your total financial aid award for the semester exceeds all institutional charges on your account, including, but not limited to tuition, fees, campus housing, health insurance, and meal plans.
The maximum amount of Bookstore Advance is capped at $600. You may request the maximum allowed amount of $600 ($200 minimum), provided your financial aid award amount for the semester exceeds the charges on your account by at least the amount you request.
The unused portion of your Bookstore Advance funds will be credited back to your student account once the Bookstore Advance Program closes at the end of the drop/add period.
You will be responsible for the remaining charges at the time of purchase.
No. Bookstore Advance funds are reserved once a semester after you submit the enrollment form for use in the UNC Charlotte Barnes & Noble bookstore. Once you have completed the enrollment form for the current semester, you cannot add more money.
After successful submission of the form, your enrollment will be processed. Once your exact Bookstore Advance amount is determined, you will receive an email at your UNC Charlotte email account notifying you that the Bookstore Advance funds will be available at the bookstore.
Yes. Your Bookstore Advance funds are valid for in-person and online purchases at the UNC Charlotte campus Barnes & Noble bookstore
Textbooks and supplies. This includes writing utensils, paper, reference books, flash drives, backpacks, and exam booklets
Gifts and convenience items such as snacks and drinks.
You can use your Bookstore Advance funds to rent textbooks at the bookstore -- but you will need to have an active credit card on file for the term of the rental.
Your Bookstore Advance funds will be valid from the time you are notified that the funds are available at the bookstore, through the end of the drop/add period. After this date, your “Bookstore Advance” account will be closed, and any unused Bookstore Advance funds will be credited back to your student account. If this credit results in an overall credit balance on your account, you will receive a refund.
You can only apply for a Bookstore Advance once per academic semester and you must re-apply each subsequent term you would like to participate in the program.
If you return your books during the Bookstore Advance Program period, the credit will be added back to your Bookstore Advance funds. At the end of the program period, any unused Bookstore Advance funds will be credited back to your student account. Please note that the last day the UNC Charlotte campus bookstore generally accepts book returns is also the last day of the drop/add period.
Once the Bookstore Advance funds have been sent to the bookstore, you may not cancel until the end of the Bookstore Advance Program period, at which time the unspent amount will be credited back to your student account.