SF State students can get their textbooks on loan free of cost - and no, it’s not a dream.
Mario Flores, director of the Associated Students Inc.’s Project Connect, is offering low-income students who receive financial aid or qualify for AB 540 status, two books per semester in many departments.

“Project Connect presents students an opportunity to connect with each other, and with faculty and staff to give them a sense of belonging,” Flores said.

The ASI Project Connect Book Loan Service is little known, which Flores said is unfortunate, because SF State serves over 50 percent of students on some kind of financial aid. The program is first come, first served and, according to Flores, there are over 660 textbooks available that are currently being used this semester in the colleges of BSS, HHS, Creative Arts, Humanities, Sciences, Business, Education and Ethnic Studies.

Flores was thrilled to see 225 students take advantage of the service this semester. Last spring 85 students made use of the service, but on a campus this size, even more could benefit said Flores.

“Word is getting out, when students return books, they donate books, which to me, is the true success of the book loan service,” Flores said.

At the end of each semester, Project Connect holds a book drive where students can donate books. Half of the books are not useful, and buyers come from other universities to purchase books from the program, bringing in over $1000 last year. The program takes that money, as well as money earned from book sales and SF State Bookstore donations, $2000 so far this year, to buy the early applicants the specific two books they need, on loan; an incentive to get applications in early.

Thomas Mar, 23-year-old Asian American Studies major, fell just under the cut off to qualify for financial aid this year.

“I pay for my own schooling,” Mar said. “They should start a book exchange for students not on financial aid.”

History major Russell Graham, 22, said he had heard about the book loan service, and attributes not applying to laziness, however he said he may take advantage of the program next semester.

“Everything’s been raised, lower prices so I can have my education easier without having to work all the time,” said Graham.

To apply, visit the Project Connect office in T-139 on the terrace level of the Cesar Chavez Student Center. To complete an application, a student must submit their class schedule and verification of number of enrolled units, a copy of a financial aid award letter as well as a copy of their current SF State or government ID card.

Danielle Stanley, 21, received a smaller amount of financial aid this semester.
“If this program was better advertised, I would have been on applying for sure, because (the idea of) getting free books is amazing,” Stanley said.

It was a similar situation for music and anthropology major Alejandra Contreras, 23.
“I don’t have any grants anymore, most of my financial aid is coming from loans,” Contreras said. “I pay for books from a scholarship through the music department, my parents just can’t afford it.”

On Wednesday, September 18, Project Connect will be holding its 2nd annual ASPC University Festival from 11 am to 2 pm, an event where over 125 student and campus organizations are expected to turn out.

During this event, Flores and his crew will be holding a “Connect 4 Drawing,” where students can enter if they network with four organizations tabling.

For more information on the book loan service or the University Festival, check out Project Connect’s website at http://www.asisfsu.org/projectconnect.