Book vouchers are no longer offered to Fresno City College students at the campus bookstore, but there are other options.
The vouchers began in response to the financial strain of COVID-19 and were offered until the Spring 2023 semester, when they were discontinued.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) vouchers, funded by Fresno City College, were free awards of $250 given to full-time students, while part-time students received less.
During the pandemic, I received roughly $175 per semester from the CARES HEERF. I was enrolled in six units or less each semester, but even that small amount helped offset the cost of textbooks and other school supplies.
Sarah Valentino, FCC bookstore manager, offers some reassurance to students, stating that the school is offering other alternatives to the HEERF vouchers.
“There are definitely other programs out there they can apply for,” Valentino said.
Some alternatives, like EOPS, Next Up, Reading Beyond, Associated Student Government (ASG) book loans, as well as veterans scholarships, make books and school supplies more affordable.
However, many new and returning students weren’t aware of these vouchers.
“Honestly, in my opinion, I didn’t get to experience it, but it would’ve been nice to experience having that money,” FCC student and nursing major Pilar Rosales said. “We could all use an extra hand getting books, supplies, or snacks.”
While it’s understandable that some students would be disappointed, others had a different outlook on the vouchers being discontinued.
“It kinda makes sense,” Chris Lopez, computer information technology major, said, “because we were kind of bouncing back from the pandemic. It’s nice to have, but I understand if they want to allocate money elsewhere.”
If I’m being honest, this sounds like a reasonable trade-off. Yes, the book vouchers have been discontinued, and yes, they were helpful, but there are plenty of other options to help offset the cost of books and school supplies.
Even though returning students knew about the book vouchers, some may not have taken advantage of them. Out of FCC’s total of about 24,000 students, only an estimated 8,700 used the vouchers during the Spring 2023 semester.
“You would be surprised how many people don’t touch their vouchers,” Sarah Valentino said.
Considering the financial hardships many students endure, it’s genuinely surprising that more of them didn’t take advantage of the vouchers.
Since the discontinuation of the HEERF vouchers, business at the bookstore has slowed down.
“We’re still very busy,” Valentino said, “but now they can look other places to buy books, like Amazon or Chegg.”
Students can find more information about EOPS grants and emergency loans both online, or in person at the Student Services building, in room ST-101.
*Photo changed from original on Aug. 24, 2023 to better reflect the topic of the article and abbreviated “HEERF” from the fourth paragraph*
