Using your aid at the campus store
Remaining aid is the amount of financial aid, scholarships, and grants you have left after you are charged for tuition, fees, and supplies for the semester. Bookstore charges you make using your remaining aid will be deducted from your financial aid.
You have to apply and be awarded federal student aid first. Start by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the online financial aid authorization form on your MyCollege account. Your tuition/fees, supplies, and/or bookstore charges will be subtracted from the amount you receive as a financial aid refund.
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Restrictions:
- You may not use funds from a federal work-study award.
- Additional financial aid funds must be available after your financial aid has been applied to tuition. The amount of money (grants, scholarships, and loans) you have been awarded must exceed your total tuition, fee, books, and supplies charges.
- Your financial aid funds must not be restricted to tuition and fees. (The majority of Central Piedmont scholarships pay only tuition and fees — not supplies and books.)
- You cannot use financial aid that you have been awarded to attend another college.
- The IncludED Textbook Access program makes digital and printed course materials available to all Central Piedmont students enrolled in college credit classes as a fee-per-credit hour. This is the default method of getting and paying for textbooks.
- Once financial aid refunds are issued, you must wait until the next semester to use your financial aid for bookstore purchases again.
- You are responsible for paying any charges you make that are not covered by your remaining financial aid. Purchasing an excess of eligible expenses that are not required for your classes is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. If you register for courses, purchase books, and then drop a course, you may owe the college. Please return all books for classes that you drop. By charging your books and supplies onto your account, you agree to adhere to the policies and procedures of the Central Piedmont Financial Aid Office and of the Central Piedmont Campus Store. These policies include, but are not limited to, refunds, returns, and exchanges.
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Eligible expenses
- Bus passes
- Backpacks (up to $100, including tax)
- Flash drives ($45, including tax)
- Convenience items, such as clothing, food/drinks, and toiletries/personal hygiene (up to $100, including tax)
If your textbook is not available or is out of stock, pre-order and pay for it using financial aid.
Laptops
You can use your remaining financial aid to buy a laptop (maximum cost $1,200) once every two years from the Central Piedmont Campus Store.
Visit the Central Piedmont Campus Store to shop for eligible models and to review specifications. Allow six to eight business days for delivery to Central Campus, or up to 10 business days to other campuses.
Ineligible expenses
- Electronics (radios/cellular supplies/cameras)
- Computer accessories (software/accessories/peripherals)
When to buy supplies
You can charge books at the Central Piedmont Campus Store using your financial aid no earlier than 10 days before each semester starts and no later than the seventh business day of the semester. If you opt out of charging your books before courses begin, you must wait for remaining financial aid funds, after tuition and fees are paid, to be released to your selected refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements before you can purchase books using financial aid. Bring your student ID and a copy of your course schedule. Ask to charge the supplies to your financial aid when checking out.
Dates you can use your financial aid to buy books and supplies:
- August 3-28, 2026
- September 18-28, 2026
- October 9-30, 2026
- November 12-25, 2026
- December 11-21, 2026
You may pay out-of-pocket for your books at any time.
