For many students, the beginning of the quarter presents the prospect of new opportunities, new classes and new costly textbooks.
But a new textbook scholarship funded by the Undergraduate Students Associaton Council might help to alleviate some of these costs for students.
Earlier this month, USAC voted unanimously to allocate $20,000 to a textbook scholarship fund, which council members hope will help students handle these costs more effectively.
The scholarship money is coming directly from USAC’s budget surplus and will be presented in the form of gift certificates for the ASUCLA textbook store to students who apply and are granted the scholarship, said Elaine Reodica, the USAC financial supports commissioner.
Homaira Hosseini, a fourth-year political science student and president of USAC, said she believes this scholarship fund is beneficial in a time when the cost of living and student fees are increasing.
“It’s about time that we use student money to actually give back to the students directly,” she said. “This is what USAC should be doing and I’m glad we’re getting a chance to do that.”
Eric Cain, a third-year geography and environmental studies student, said he sometimes buys textbooks from the ASUCLA bookstore but tries to find his books elsewhere because he believes the prices at the student store are a bit high.
Caroline Nguyen, a fourth-year bioengineering student said she also looks to other places to find books because she feels the prices at the ASUCLA bookstore are too high.
“It’s high in the sense that you can buy books for cheaper on Bruinwalk.com or from other students,” she said.
However, Cain said he believes a positive aspect of ASUCLA is the availability of its books.
“In terms of availability, they have more books than you can find in the other bookstores in Westwood,” Cain said.
Reodica said she believes she has received a lot of support for the textbook scholarship from USAC council members and administrators.
She said that ASUCLA is also trying to cut textbook costs for students by implementing programs of its own which are separate from USAC.
In a statement, Scott Waugh, acting executive vice chancellor and provost, said ASUCLA has implemented a price-match guarantee and has instituted a major reduction in textbook prices, totaling $650,000 for all books ordered for UCLA.
“The university is determined to minimize the burden for students by finding ways to keep textbook costs as low as possible,” he said.
ASUCLA is also going to start a book rental program, Reodica said.
Cain said he has noticed a decrease in prices at the ASUCLA textbook store.
“I went into the textbook store the other day and I noticed that the prices were about 10 or so percent cheaper than they were before,” he said. “They even wrote on the tag what the old price was and what the new price is.”
Reodica said she is currently working on a proposal to ask for another additional $10,000 for the scholarship fund from ASUCLA.
If passed by ASUCLA Board of Directors, an additional $10,000 will be allocated to the textbook fund.
Nguyen said she would apply for the scholarship if it was well-publicized and if the application is not too lengthy.
The first scholarships will be offered starting winter quarter of the academic year to give USAC a chance to advertise to students, Reodica said.
Students will be able to apply for the scholarships in the second half of fall quarter through the office of the financial supports commissioner.
Reodica said she believes the application is simple because it does not require an essay and hopes it will also be available online.
Cain said he believes the textbook fund can be successful if it is advertised well.
“College students are trying to find ways to make things cheaper,” he said.
Reodica said she will work with the financial aid office to implement a financial need-based system to determine who is eligible to receive the scholarship.
The applications of eligible students will then be placed in a lottery and a certain number will be selected for the scholarship, she said.
Cain said though he doesn’t know how much he would personally get out of the textbook scholarship it could be a good idea.
“If it helps someone else or the student body in general, then it’s worthwhile,” he said.
The gift certificates given to the recipients of the scholarship can only be used at the ASUCLA textbook store, and all textbooks that are bought with the gift certificate need to be returned at the end of the quarter.
Reodica said this is just to ensure that the books will be put back into the system so the money is available for following quarters.
Reodica said she is also working with the UCLA Department of Development to organize a silent auction during spring quarter whose proceeds are hoped to generate more funds for the textbook scholarship.
Reodica said the textbook scholarship is the first of its kind.
“A lot of commissioners have tried to have a textbook scholarship (in the past), but it’s never really come into fruition,” Reodica said. “I hope that in years forward, the person that takes on the financial supports commission will see it as a duty that they owe the students.”