What is the Textbook Loan Program?
The Business Services Textbook Loan Program allows eligible East Carolina University employees to apply to borrow required textbooks from Dowdy Student Stores for classes taken at ECU for themselves or eligible family members. In order to participate in the program, specific criteria must be met and a Textbook Loan Application Form completed.
How many people in my family can participate?
Only ONE application per employee will be accepted each term, effective Fall Semester 2010. If both a wife and husband are employed by ECU, each employee is allowed one application. The application may be for the employee, spouse, or dependent child meeting the established criteria.
Steps for participation are outlined on this web site.
How is the program funded?
The Textbook Loan Program is not a "benefit" of working at the university, but rather, it is a program made possible through the generosity of ECU Business Services making available the profits earned in administrative building vending machines. These funds are used to administer the program and absorb all costs involved. Your continued support of ECU Vending Services allows ECU to have this unique program. By using campus vending machines, you are helping to improve the quality of life within the university community.
Who is eligible and how does the program work?
- Used or new required textbooks only will be loaned to eligible full-time, permanent employees (30 hours or more) of ECU under the Textbook Loan Program. Materials such as optional texts, course packs, loose-leaf text versions, custom-published products, digital books, online access codes, computer software, equipment or supplies, even if required, are not included in the textbook loan program.
- Required texts will be loaned for any course required in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at ECU, or for a professional development course taken by a full-time, permanent staff or faculty member. His/her spouse may also be eligible.
- Required texts will be loaned to a full-time, permanent ECU staff member for use by his or her dependent child registered for a course required in an undergraduate degree program.
- Course(s) must be taken at ECU.
- Textbooks are loaned for the length of one term. Terms include: Fall Semester , Spring Semester , Summer Session 1, and Summer Session 2. Note that Summer Sessions are considered separate terms. A new application must be completed for each semester/term.
- Each eligible recipient may borrow textbooks in retail value up to $250 for each Fall and Spring semester (apply separately for each term). Participants in summer sessions may borrow textbooks valued up to $125 for each Summer Session (apply separately for Session 1 and Session 2). The full 11-week Summer Session has a cap of $250.
- All textbooks must be returned within three business days following the last exam, or immediately upon withdrawal from the course or separation from the university, whichever comes first. If the textbooks are not returned by the deadline or are not returned in a satisfactory condition, participants must pay the full replacement cost for those textbooks. The ECU employee is ultimately responsible for the timely return of the book(s), and lateness will jeopardize future participation by the employee as well as his or her family members.
- Exchanges for any reason, including the dropping/adding of courses, will be handled through Dowdy Student Stores.
- When a staff member borrows books for a family member and ends employment with the university, the book(s) must be returned immediately or replacement cost paid in full immediately.
- Books may not be returned after the due date, but must be paid for in full at that time.
-Failure to return books or make payment to Dowdy Student Stores will disqualify future participation in the program and may affect employee's status at the university, regardless of whether the books are for the employee or the employee's family member.
- If you decide you want to keep the borrowed textbooks, you may inform Dowdy Student Stores and pay the "replacement cost" at any time before the end of the agreement period without jeopardizing future participation.
Why does the Textbook Loan Program not cover all book expenses for staff and faculty family members, no matter what degree is being pursued?
The reason we must limit the number of participant groups is the funding. This program was developed as a way for ECU Vending Services to "give back" to the university. The small amount of profit earned in vending machines is distributed back in various ways. For example, the Residence Hall Association receives some of the profits earned in the residence hall machines. It was felt that something of educational value could be done with the profits earned in administrative area machines. That was when the textbook loan program was developed in order to help provide employee development for ECU staff.
Later we found that the funds available could support extending the program to include spouses and dependent children. The program has grown slowly over several years. At this time, we do not have the funding to cover another "audience" or "category" of students that would include medical students or doctoral candidates. For this same reason, we cannot cover all class materials, especially items that cannot be reused by another student, such as a workbook or course pack.
Effective with the Fall 2010 Semester, we have to place an additional limitation on the Textbook Loan Program, due to its growth in participation without any additional funding provided. There will be a limit of one application per ECU employee for borrowing books through the Textbook Loan Program each term. If a husband and wife are BOTH ECU employees, one application per employee will be accepted. The cap is per employee, not per family.
