Can FAFSA loans cover laptops and textbooks? Need advice for my sister!

There's no specific "laptop and textbook loan" through FAFSA, but your sister does have options! When she completes her FAFSA and receives her financial aid package, she may qualify for student loans that can cover educational expenses beyond just tuition - including textbooks, laptops, and other required materials. The key thing to understand is that financial aid (including loans) is typically disbursed to the school first to cover tuition and fees. Any remaining amount (called a "refund" or "disbursement") is then provided to the student to cover other educational expenses like books, supplies, housing, etc. She should: 1. Complete her FAFSA if she hasn't already 2. Review her financial aid award letter when it arrives 3. Accept any federal student loans she qualifies for (Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized) 4. When the funds disburse, use the refund to purchase her laptop and books This is completely legitimate as long as the purchases are for educational purposes!

Hey there, just wanted to share my experience since I just went through this last semester. The financial aid office doesn't care HOW you spend your refund money as long as it's for "educational expenses" which is super vague lol. I got about $3200 back after my tuition was paid, and used about $1100 for a decent laptop and another $500 for my textbooks (SUCH a ripoff). No one ever questioned what I bought. Just tell your sister to make sure she doesn't go overboard with an ultra-expensive gaming laptop or something because she'll have to pay that loan back eventually with interest if it's unsubsidized!!

your sister might also want to check if her school has an emergency grant program!! my college had a tech grant that gave students $500 for computers during covid and they kept it going after. doesnt hurt to ask the financial aid office directly

I work in a university financial aid office, and I want to clarify a few things: 1. Federal student loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized) can be used for the total cost of attendance, which officially includes books, supplies, and technology needed for education 2. Some schools have special emergency funds or technology grants, but these are school-specific and separate from FAFSA 3. Your sister should carefully review her Cost of Attendance (COA) on her financial aid award - this is the maximum total aid she can receive, and it includes estimates for books and supplies 4. If her existing financial aid doesn't cover everything, she might consider a Parent PLUS loan (if eligible) or private student loans as a last resort Most importantly, she should NEVER take out more loans than absolutely necessary. Those textbook and laptop expenses can add up significantly to what she'll be repaying after graduation.

Has your sister tried calling FAFSA directly? I spent WEEKS trying to figure this out last year and kept getting transferred around. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at FAFSA who could help. They have this demo video I watched first: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I talked to explained exactly how my loan disbursement would work and what I could use it for. They confirmed I could use my refund for my laptop, which was a relief because I needed an expensive one for my graphic design program.

Be careful with this! My SAI (Student Aid Index) was higher than expected, which limited my federal loan eligibility. I ended up having to get a private loan with a much higher interest rate just to cover my laptop and software for my computer science program. Definitely encourage your sister to explore ALL options before committing to any loans. Also, some schools actually have laptop loan programs where you can borrow a device for the semester rather than buying one. That saved me a ton of money my freshman year!

ngl i just used my credit card for all my books and laptop and then paid it off with my loan refund when it finally hit my account lol. financial aid NEVER disburses before the semester starts and u kinda need that stuff right away

One more important thing: the timing of aid disbursement. Most schools don't disburse funds until AFTER classes begin (often 1-2 weeks into the term). So your sister should plan ahead for how she'll handle any upfront expenses before her aid refund arrives. Some bookstores allow students to charge against pending financial aid, and some schools offer book vouchers or emergency short-term loans specifically for this reason. She should contact her school's financial aid office soon to understand what options they provide for students waiting on disbursements.

Just wanted to add that your sister should also look into renting textbooks instead of buying them! Sites like Chegg, VitalSource, and even Amazon have rental options that can save hundreds of dollars per semester. Some of my textbooks would have cost $300+ to buy new but only cost $50-80 to rent for the semester. Also, many professors put textbooks on reserve at the library, so she might be able to access them there for free if she's okay with studying in the library. And definitely check if there are free PDF versions available through her school's library database before spending money! Between textbook rentals and a reasonably priced laptop, she might find that her regular financial aid covers everything without needing to take out additional loans.

As someone who just finished my first year, I wanted to share a few additional tips that really helped me save money on textbooks and tech: 1. Check if your sister's program has any specific laptop requirements before buying anything. My engineering program had very specific specs we needed, and I almost bought the wrong type of laptop. 2. Facebook Marketplace and local college buy/sell groups are goldmines for cheap textbooks and even laptops from graduating students. I saved probably $400 this way. 3. Some textbook publishers offer digital access codes that are way cheaper than physical books, and you can usually print the chapters you need most. 4. If she does need to use her loan refund for a laptop, consider looking at refurbished business laptops - they're usually much more reliable than cheap consumer models and cost way less than new ones. The most important thing is to track every penny she spends from her loan refund because it's easy to overspend when it feels like "free money" but you're definitely paying it back later with interest!

Just to add another perspective - your sister should definitely check if her college offers any work-study positions in the computer lab or library that might give her access to laptops and printing for free while she's working. I got a work-study job at my school's IT help desk and not only did I get to use their equipment, but I also learned a ton about troubleshooting which saved me money on tech support later! Also, many colleges have "loaner laptop" programs where you can borrow a laptop for the entire semester for a small fee (like $50-100) instead of buying one outright. This is especially helpful if she's not sure exactly what specs she'll need for her major yet. One last tip - if she does end up buying textbooks, always check the international editions on sites like AbeBooks. They're usually identical content but cost a fraction of the US edition price. Just make sure her professor is okay with it first!