IU Bookstore allows year-round billing

Beginning this semester, students can charge books to their University accounts year-round. \nIf a student needs a Psychology book in September, bursar billing is the way to go. Neurology in November? Bursar billing. French in February? Bursar billing. Accounting academia in April? Bursar billing.\nStudents will now have the option to use bursar billing at the IU bookstore year-round. Previously, students could only use the option during the first week of classes.\nIU Bookstore director Paul Hazel said the change is not because of a new policy.\n"It's more an issue with the new system," Hazel said. "There is no policy dealing with bursar billing. That's just a service the University provides, just like any other service."\nBefore PeopleSoft, students had the first week of classes to put their book bills on their bursar account, a method many students use to pass the payments along to their parents. \nSophomore Shane Grove, who used bursar billing at the IU Bookstore, said the new system will be beneficial for those students not footing their own bills.\n"For me, it's much more convenient," he said. "But I don't have to pay for my books."\nGrove said returning books is easier with the bursar billing system.\n"I already bought my books initially and had to take one back," he said. "This way is more convenient than using a debit or credit card."\nThough the University allows student patrons of the IU Bookstore to use bursar billing all year, patrons of T.I.S. Bookstore and other alternate bookstores are not allowed to use bursar billing at any time of the year. This option is also available at auxiliary IU Bookstore locations at Eigenmann Hall and Foster Quad.\nJunior Ben Collins said the year-round bursar billing option can be a saving grace for those students with languid professors.\n"I think it's a good idea because some professors don't assign certain books until later in the semester," he said. "It gives you the option of not buying books right when the semester starts."\nMany literature classes at IU include a reading list of several books to be read throughout the semester, some of which are not ordered the first week of classes.\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.