You can use your financial aid at Gray’s!
Many students at UNCC are under the impression that they must go to the campus bookstore because they have financial aid. This is absolutely not the case! Gray’s College Bookstore recognizes that many college students require some form of financial assistance to attend school. Therefore, we also accept all forms of financial aid. If the school uses it, it can be applied here by taking advantage of our held check program. All that you need is a valid checking account with real checks (not starter checks).
This is how the program works: You come to Gray’s and get all of your books, clothing, hats, supplies, etc. and bring them to the front registers. Then let the cashier know you want to use the held check program. You’ll then be asked to fill out a form which is a simple type of promissory note, and write out a check for the total amount that you purchased (leaving the date field on the check blank). The cashier will then hand you a receipt just like any other purchase and you’re good to go. You get the benefits of a credit card, paying for the purchase at the end of the month, without having to pay the additional interest that accumulates. Gray’s will hold the check for approximately 20-30 days. This is typically more than sufficient time for the financial aid office to receive and distribute the financial aid checks to you. Then you’ll need to give Gray’s a call (or we will call you) and let us know that you have received your financial aid and that we may either deposit your check or that you will be coming to pick up your original check and pay by other means. If you call for us to cash the check we’ll write the date on it and deposit it at that time (usually within 48 hours of that call).
This is a service that we provide to students because we want to allow them to have a choice in where they shop, to be able to walk out with their books that same day even if they haven’t received their financial aid yet and, most importantly, to have their books ready to go on the first day of class.
How Financial Aid Works at UNCC
This section is more of a sidebar, but a lot of students also don’t understand how financial aid works at UNCC. Essentially what Gray’s is doing is the same thing that the campus store does. The only difference really is that the campus store has a preexisting computer system in place that ties in directly to the financial aid office. However, when a student goes to use their financial aid at the campus store, all they are really doing is providing their student information via their ID card. The student walks out with their purchase and the campus store sends a bill to the Financial Aid office. When the financial aid package for that student clears, the Financial Aid office subtracts the amount they spent at the campus store (i.e. send the campus store a check for that amount) and whatever is left over after everything else is paid they cut as a check to the student. We are doing much the same thing, but without the red-tape of the financial aid office. The bottom line is choice, and students have one in us.
