Billing textbooks to bursar not an option

The option of billing textbooks to the bursar will not be available this semester because of Barnes and Noble’s recent takeover of the IU Bookstore.\nThe bookstore’s speedy summer transition from University to corporate ownership left little time to resolve the matter.\nBruce Jacobs, associate vice president for student affairs, said IU officials are trying to determine whether the private vendor can use IU’s bursar billing system. Officials are uncertain if and when they will be able to reinstate the bursar-billing option. \n“There’s a lot of detail that we have to go over with bursar billing since Barnes and Noble is not part of IU,” said Joe Bender, manager of the IU Bookstore. “There just wasn’t enough time to get those details together.”\nBarnes and Noble assumed operations of bookstores on all IU campuses July 1.\nIU has had difficulties with the bursar billing option in the past. All students could bill their textbooks to the bursar when the IU Bookstore implemented the service in 2001. In 2005, the service was limited to athletes and students who hold one of four financial aid distinctions, according to an April 22, 2005, Indiana Daily Student article. The modified system was a result of lengthy negotiations between IU and T.I.S. Bookstore, which claimed bursar billing gave the IU Bookstore an unfair advantage. \nAbout one-third of undergraduates qualify for the modified service, Jacobs said.\nAuxiliary Services and Programs has been discussing the latest billing issue with fiscal management on campus and a legal council to make a decision, Jacobs said, and will then make a recommendation to campus administrators, who will make the final decision.\nLarry MacIntyre, director of media relations, said students waiting for financial aid can take out a short-term loan with the bursar’s office to cover their books. \n“We’re going to take another look at it to see if there’s a better way of doing it, but we’ve not made a decision,” MacIntyre said. “We believe there may be a small number of students who don’t have the ability to buy books right away, and they can get a short-term loan.”\nJunior Megan Pate said she received an e-mail a couple weeks ago notifying her she couldn’t charge her books to the bursar. Until now, she has charged her books to the bursar every semester she has been at IU.\n“Had I not got my grant money, it would have sucked,” Pate said. “It was just frustrating.”\nBender said he wants IU to continue offering the services and thinks students want it, too.\nStudents who have concerns about the issue should contact the IU Student Association, Jacobs said.