Student Financial Services


>>Important Message About Buying Books<<

Students need to be aware of important updates to the authorization process before purchasing books with a financial aid or grant book authorization. Please review "Important!" section below.

Buying Books

Florida State College has partnered with Follett Bookstores to make buying your books easy. Choose to order your books online through Connections, visit efollett.com or visit your campus bookstore.

For more information about buying books, see the FAQs.

Buy Books Online (Connections)

This is the most convenient and accurate way of purchasing books. Once you have registered and paid for your classes, you can log in to Connections, “my Classes,” and select “Buy Books Online” to order your books. Your schedule will be analyzed and a list of all of the required and recommended books will appear in a shopping cart for you to purchase. You may pay with credit, debit, use your book authorization or a combination of each of these methods of payment to purchase your books. Other available features are:

  • Check each of the campus locations online for the availability of the book you need before driving to the campus bookstore.
  • Have all of your books shipped to one campus bookstore at no cost eliminating the need for you to visit more than one campus bookstore to obtain all of your books.
  • Have your books shipped to your home.
  • Check quickly by class reference number what books are required for a class.
  • Rent textbooks.

Book Authorization

The College provides loans for books to financial aid eligible students and students receiving grants.

Book authorizations are a loan from the College to the student and must be paid back. Book authorizations are not additional funds offered to students. It is a loan. The amount is based on the financial aid award amount (PELL, Direct Loan, scholarship) which the student should be eligible for if enrollment and other criteria are followed. Book authorizations are provided to the College bookstores two weeks before the term begins and end approximately two weeks after the term starts. Book authorization dates are published each term in the class schedule.

Students can purchase a new, used or rent the textbooks required for enrollment and use their authorization in the campus bookstore or online.

Financial aid book authorizations are processed for the lesser amount of $80 multiplied by the number of enrolled credit hours or the available amount of financial aid after tuition. Authorizations for books received from a grant are processed at the amount authorized by grant personnel. Students who receive both a financial aid book authorization and a grant authorization will only have one authorization forwarded to the bookstore. Generally, the grant authorization is forwarded.

If a student is unable to purchase books at the campus bookstore, a book exception process is available beginning the first day of the term. Contact your campus business office for details.

Students may view their book authorization in Connections by selecting “Financial Aid.”

IMPORTANT! There are a few updates to the process which you need to be aware of before purchasing books with a financial aid or grant book authorization.

The bookstore will ask for your FSCJ Essential Card to validate your eligibility for the authorization. Please make every effort to have your Essential Card with you when purchasing books. If you are purchasing online or do not have your Essential Card you must know your new student ID. You will not be able to access your authorization using your social security number. Your new student ID number can be found in Connections under the "my Records" tab.

Book authorization amounts for financial aid students are now calculated at $80 per credit hour for a maximum of $960 subject to the student's financial aid eligibility. The College is committed to reducing the cost of books to students but recognizes that book costs can be prohibitive particularly in some of our specialized programs. The increased authorization will assist financial aid students in obtaining required books.

Only buy what you need. The book authorization is a loan from the College and is based on anticipated financial aid eligibility. If you do not use the full $80 per credit hour you will receive a payment for any remaining amount once financial aid is disbursed.

Financial aid book authorizations can be used to rent textbooks, or buy computers, calculators, and other supplies or equipment needed for enrollment. Check the financial aid important dates for the bookstore authorization period.

If you have any questions, please visit your campus financial aid or business office for assistance.