The textbook deferment program enables students that are expecting a refund from their financial aid to use up to $1000 of the refund in the university bookstore. Therefore, to be eligible, a student must have more financial aid and/or payments on their account than they have charges. The $1000 limit can be increased for students that show a copy of their course schedule and required textbooks to the Student Accounts Office.
The textbook deferment can be used to purchase new or used textbooks in the university bookstore. Fall 2024 book deferment funds can also be used to purchase an NFTA MetGo card before September 20, 2024.
A student may only apply for one (1) textbook deferment per semester. Therefore, before submitting the request, the student should ensure that all tasks are completed to be considered for his/her highest textbook deferment (up to $1000).
Students should allow 2 business days for processing as in-person requests must be manually entered.
To be eligible for a textbook deferment, students must have more financial aid on their account than their semester charges. Below are various examples of a student's account:
| Maximum Eligibility | Partial Eligibility | Not Eligible | |
| Semester Charges | $4,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| - Semester Financial Aid | -$5,000 | -$4,125 | -$3,000 |
| Owe / (Refund) | ($1,000) | ($125) | $1,000 |
| Maximum Textbook Eligibility | $1000 | $125 | $0 |
|
Top Reasons a Student's Textbook Deferment Eligibility Is Reduced |
Students must accept their loans in Banner in order for them to be used as a deferment on their student bill. Log in to Banner to verify that you have accepted the loans.
Students that accepted federal student loans but failed to complete the entrance counseling and or master promissory note will have reduced eligibility. Students must complete all the loan requirements before the loans can be used as a deferment on the student’s bill. Therefore, check your Banner Student Requirements to see if there are outstanding loan requirements that still need to be completed.
Students that were selected for verification or have other requirements, will not be eligible to apply for a book deferment because their aid eligibility cannot be finalized. To determine if you have outstanding paperwork that needs to be completed, refer to your student requirements in Banner.
To be eligible for federal and state financial aid, students must be making satisfactory academic progress. If you see no financial aid posted to your account for the given semester, it could signal a problem with your SAP status. Typically, students are notified at the Buffalo State emails address and permanent address of their federal SAP standing at the end of each semester. If you are not eligible for federal and/or state financial aid, you can appeal to have your aid reinstated if exceptional circumstances existed. To appeal, visit Academic Standards. Alternatively, students may be eligible to borrow a private student loan.
A student that has not filed the appropriate FAFSA and/or TAP applications will not have any federal or state aid offered to them. Thus, they are very unlikely to have a credit balance on their account. To verify your filing status, go to the FAFSA and TAP websites. Makes sure you have filed the appropriate year and Buffalo State is listed on the applications.
| Federal Aid (FAFSA) | State Aid (TAP) | |
| Website | www.studentaid.gov | https://www.tap.hesc.ny.gov/totw/ |
| School Code | 002842 | 0905 (SUC Buffalo) |
A student that has aid offered to them but is registered for an insufficient number of credits may not be eligible for a textbook deferments. Below details the number of credits needed to be eligible for various types of aid programs.
| Aid Program | Minimum Credits Required |
| Federal Student Loans | 6 credits of required coursework |
| Federal Pell Grant | At least 1 credit of required coursework |
| Federal TEACH Grant | At least 1 credit of required coursework |
| New York State TAP | 6 credits of required coursework |
| New York State SUNY Tuition Credit | 6 credits of required coursework |
| Buffalo State Merit Scholarships | 12 credits of required coursework |
| EOP Grant | 12 credits of required coursework |
If you have not accepted enough of your loans, you must email the Financial Aid Office at finaid@buffalostate.edu and we can set your loans back to offered so you may accept the correct amount.
Private loans can take several weeks for the approval process and Buffalo State is not typically notified until the loan is approved. Make sure your loan application has the correct school listed on it by calling your lender. Frequently, students mistakenly have SUNY Buffalo (UB) on the application instead of Buffalo State. Have your lender verify the address to ensure the correct school is listed. The address should be 1300 Elmwood Avenue.
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