Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Enroll at PCC

Charging books to financial aid

this student has her books already

You don’t get financial aid money until after the term starts. But you need books right away, right? That’s why there is a way to charge books to your financial aid at the bookstore.

You can charge up to $550. But be careful: the money comes out of your financial aid refund – it is not extra money on top of your refund. (If you spend more than your refund amount, it’ll be charged to your account.)

How to charge your books

  1. Check your dashboard

    To see if you can charge books, look in your Financial Aid Dashboard in MyPCC. If you are okay to charge, you will see a green check next to bookstore charge approval on the stoplight tab.

  2. Go before the first Saturday

    Charge books to your financial aid by the first Saturday of the term.

    Fist and last days to change by term
    Term First day to charge Last day to charge
    Fall 2023 September 5 September 30
    Winter 2024 December 11 January 13
    Spring 2024 March 18 April 6
    Summer 2024 June 10 June 29
  3. Show the cashier your ID

    Let the cashier know that you would like to pay with financial aid and show your PCC student ID.

Problems charging books?

Here are the most common things that will prevent you from charging books:

  • Not taking enough classes: You have to be taking at least 6 credits to charge books. If you just registered, it takes about 24 hours to authorize bookstore charging.
  • Not enough money: Did you already charge $550 worth of books? If so, you have no remaining charge allowance.
  • No authorization: When you accept your award, you have to check yes next to authorization to deduct charges.
  • Not maintaining eligibility: You have to be making satisfactory academic progress to charge books.
  • Past due charges: If you have past due charges with the school, you can’t charge books.

Returning charged books

You must return charged books by the last date for each term listed above. Credit will be applied to your student account. No cash refunds will be given.

What can I buy with financial aid?

Only books or equipment required for your classes. You cannot charge general merchandise (like clothing, food or gifts).