The aggravation of it all

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So... I have been struggling trying to pay for my college books for the past 5 weeks because my professors are so darn picky on keeping up to date on the "latest edition".

My books costs me about $663 in total. So instead of me paying $100 for all 6 of my books online, I have to break my pockets because of some newest illustrations and a caption or two 😠.

I had to beg my parents and relatives for money (I even asked my 11 year sister for some of her allowance money). It was pretty embarrassing, considering me and my parents barely get along and I asked relatives who I haven't spoken in years, plus a little girl who loves all the change she can get.

But guess what? Today (just now), I felt like checking my fafsa award letter to just to see how much I may be getting back as a refund check and lo and behold it said I have a 1,000 book scholarship. I didn't even know my fafsa was updated, or where that scholarship even came from.

Yes, I did apply for that scholarship back in like March, but I was never notified by the scholarship representatives or my school, telling me that I had recieved it. Like how long have I even had that?

Imagine my frustration at the fact that I went through all this embarrassment and shame for nothing. More so at my school for not telling me that they changed my award letter and did not notified me about it or the scholarship.

I'm not as angry as I was before I started venting on this post. So that's a plus. But still...

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So when all is said and done, present your receipts to the financial aid office of your school. They should reimburse you for your books.

In the future, before ordering said books, I would check with financial aid, and let them know you are having a hard time paying for books, and you would like to know what options you have, and if the scholarship for books you applied for has been approved, denied, and when you can expect that answer.

Each book, as you know, has an IBN number. If you go to a search engine and type in the IBN number, you will see that there's lots of choices when it comes to books. Even new books can be "used", books can be downloaded onto your computer, rented for the semester--lots of choices. And if you set up a student account, you can usually find that they offer free 2 day shipping, some will ship for free otherwise.

You may also find after your first year that there's books that you don't even crack open. Or that you can borrow from the library if they are project specific.

If you are in a nursing program, a drug book a lab results and what they mean book, and a nursing care plan book are all good investments. And will serve you well into the next 4 years.

Best wishes, and contact financial aid on Monday and see about getting your money back--then pay back what you borrowed.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Welcome to adulthood :lol2: !

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If I discovered $1000 of available, unexpected money, I don't think I'd be angry. Plenty of people don't get any "free" money from the government or their parents. Be grateful.

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Specializes in ICU.
If I discovered $1000 of available, unexpected money, I don't think I'd be angry. Plenty of people don't get any "free" money from the government or their parents. Be grateful.

I'd still be annoyed that I went through all of the hassle of humiliating myself for nothing, but maybe I'm just an ingrate. Totally feeling you on this one, OP.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Glad it all worked out. BTW there were several of what I considered to be easier courses that I did purchase the cheap older versions and never had a problem. I didn't do that for the courses I knew would be challenging for me and I'd need every advantage but for some stuff its just not necessary imo.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
I'd still be annoyed that I went through all of the hassle of humiliating myself for nothing, but maybe I'm just an ingrate. Totally feeling you on this one, OP.

Lol, yeah I'd be annoyed too although I also would have been more impressed if OP mentioned working insane amounts of overtime in an effort to avoid having to beg from family. Then again maybe I'm just bitter because I worked all through school and never got $1,000 for anything. :D

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Specializes in critical care.

OP, if it comes down to it, and your semester has not yet started (assuming you haven't opened wrappers on the books), you can return the books and get your money back. If you HAVE opened the wrappers on the books, use your scholarship to buy the same books, and return them unopened with the receipt you got when you paid out of pocket. That way you can use your scholarship and pay back everyone you borrowed money from.

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Lol, yeah I'd be annoyed too although I also would have been more impressed if OP mentioned working insane amounts of overtime in an effort to avoid having to beg from family. Then again maybe I'm just bitter because I worked all through school and never got $1,000 for anything. :D

Yep, I've been working overtime and selling electronics. I still might need to borrow money for a few of my books. The government is insane. Even though I support myself, I'm considered a dependent because of my age and marital status. So they look at my Dad's earnings (6 beautiful figures that do not contribute toward me, and they shouldn't seeing as I'm 23), and I get squat. I cannot wait to be 24 so this madness can end.

Sorry for the rant and mini hijack OP. I do think it's odd that your school didn't notify you about your awards. My school sends emails, sometimes at 12am, for every change, down to the cent.

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Lol, yeah I'd be annoyed too although I also would have been more impressed if OP mentioned working insane amounts of overtime in an effort to avoid having to beg from family. Then again maybe I'm just bitter because I worked all through school and never got $1,000 for anything.

I wish I could still work. I actually cannot work since I was in a car accident and received a Tibial Plateau Fracture. It's just about heal since I get my cast off this Thursday and will be going to a Physical Therapist.

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If I discovered $1000 of available, unexpected money, I don't think I'd be angry. Plenty of people don't get any "free" money from the governmentor*their parents. Be grateful.

I am more than grateful. It may not seem like it, but I'm very ecstatic. It was just at the time when I wrote this post that my frustration had gotten the better of me and I just needed to vent.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

I, and several friends rent the books from Amazon. I just rented a brand new elementary statistics book for 24$.. At the end of the class I have to ship the book back to Amazon. This book would have cost me 166 bucks. Sometimes you decided you want to keep the book and then you can buy a used one really cheap usually.

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