Textbooks
Beginning July 1, AWC will no longer be in contract with a campus bookstore. Entering fall semester, students will purchase their textbooks and course materials from the websites or vendors of their choice, or at the guidance of their faculty.
How to buy textbooks and course materials
Using the textbook information listed in Self-Service, you will purchase your textbooks from any online source or vendor of your choice. To find the correct materials, be sure to use the correct ISBN (International Standard Book Number) that correlates with the textbook.
AWC is not affiliated with any textbook vendor*, but some popular websites for purchasing textbooks are:
For non-book course materials, such as clay, patches, uniforms, etc., students will receive information from faculty regarding required supplies and where they can be purchased.
*AWC does not sponsor, endorse, or profit from any of the above websites, nor are we contracted with any particular vendor.
Financial Aid Information
Beginning August 11, 2023 students who are receiving a financial aid award will receive 25% of their refund in order to purchase textbooks and supplies. A second disbursement for the remaining 75% will take place on September 5, 2023.
VERY IMPORTANT:
- Students must check their AWC Student Email frequently and follow up with any outstanding financial aid documents or other requirements in order to receive funds in a timely manner.
- Students must check their AWC Self-Service account to ensure the correct major is listed. Financial Aid will only pay for courses that count toward the declared major.
Visit our Paying for College section for all of your options on paying your tuition and fees. Be sure to sign up for direct deposit through BankMobile to get your funds as quickly as possible.
Textbooks at the AWC Library
The AWC-NAU Academic Library may carry some textbooks on reserve for student use. If textbooks are delayed, students can check with their instructor to see if they placed textbooks on reserve for temporary use. Most reserve materials are only available to use for a limited time, and often only to be used inside the library.
Student FAQs
Times are changing, and so are bookstores, and the way students are buying books. After reviewing multiple options and researching how students purchase their textbooks, the college determined the best experience for our students is to give them the freedom and flexibility to purchase books from anywhere. Most students shop online these days, and there are many online options to purchase your books. Keep an eye out for something new in the bookstore space on the Yuma Campus!
Students are now free to purchase books & materials from any source. Classroom materials will be listed in Self-Service where your faculty have entered specific information about required materials. It remains your responsibility to secure materials before class begins.
Be sure to finalize your Financial Award on time by checking your AWC Student Email frequently and following up on any needed documents and information. Establishing Direct Deposit through BankMobile will also provide the fastest delivery of your funds. NOTE: if your Financial Aid is not finalized in time to disburse funds 10 days prior to the start of classes, you will need to purchase textbooks and materials out of pocket.
Students who do not receive Financial Aid are responsible for purchasing textbooks and course materials out of pocket from a vendor of their choice.
Consult with the Financial Aid office to explore options.
AWC does not endorse any particular website or vendor. There are many online options for purchasing textbooks. We have listed some popular sites, but students can purchase from any vendor that carries the textbooks they need. There are also some local social media groups where students sell or trade used textbooks.
Some popular websites for purchasing textbooks are:
AWC staff at all welcome centers and front counters can assist you. You can also reach out to your academic advisor or the assigned instructor for your class.
Consult with your instructor for possible reserves available at the AWC-NAU Academic Library.
Connect with the vendor for their return policy.
Important dates and deadlines
- May 11 – textbook information entered into Self-Service
- July 12 – deadline for any textbook changes
- August 11 – a portion of students’ financial aid award disbursed
- August 14 – all courses published on Canvas
Entering textbook information
Textbook information is entered into Self-Service for students to view. Information displayed includes the ISBN, Title, and Author. Textbooks can be listed as either recommended or required.
Library Reserve Request
If you would to make textbooks available to students through Library Reserve, please fill out a Library Reserve Request and allow up to three days to process the materials for the reserve shelf.
Faculty FAQs
Proposed changes to our bookstore contract presented challenges to providing our students with the best possible experience. Our teams considered options to help students access course materials and determined that the best option for our students is to allow you to purchase textbooks and materials on your own from any vendor of choice. We are committed to the continuous assessment of this model and will evaluate its success to make any necessary changes in the future.
Textbook changes will not be allowed after July 12 to provide students with the most accurate and timely information to start the semester off successfully. Before July 12, textbook changes can be made in Self-Service.
Program Directors need to identify vendors and solutions for purchasing course materials and communicate them to the Leadership Advisory Board to have them posted to the textbook landing page.
Faculty are encouraged to plan curriculum for the first two weeks of the semester without heavily depending on the textbook, so all students can have usable copies of required materials. Faculty may also provide copies of the materials to students and/or provide segments of course materials on Canvas to support students in the first few weeks of class. *Copyright infringement guidelines will be added as soon as possible.
The procedure is simple. You or your designee bring items to the library and fill out a Reserves Request Card or use the online form Library Reserve Request and drop off the item. Please allow up to three days to process the materials for the Reserve shelf. The library can accept materials that are personal copies, items from the current collection, or textbooks. You can determine the checkout length (2 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, etc.). Instructor editions can be placed on reserve if not prohibited by copyright restrictions. Complimentary copies from the publisher can generally be placed on reserve.
This was only permitted because the bookstore had the necessary license to print materials. Now that we are not partnering with a company that is licensed, the Print Shop can no longer print OER materials. If you offer printable OER materials, it will be up to the student to print them off campus. Our campus printers are not capable of printing the quantity of pages this would require.