Columbia should be more Flex-ible

As students reach deeper into their wallets to pay for textbooks, Book Culture is expanding across Broadway. We hope the book store will consider another expansion as well: accepting Flex, Columbia’s cash alternative. Because many professors order their textbooks through Book Culture rather than through the Columbia Bookstore, it is important that the University works with Book Culture to give students the option to use their Flex accounts there.

Currently, 20 merchants accept, or will soon be accepting, Flex as a payment option. All of the participating stores have agreed to a 10 percent service fee charged. Book Culture was invited to join the program, but declined due to the fee. Because, in general, bookstores’ profit margins are significantly lower than those of food establishments, Flex’s high service charge makes it difficult for Book Culture to accept the cash alternative. Book Culture has maintained that, should the service fee be lowered to a percentage comparable to that of a credit card, it would join the Flex network. This lower fee may or may not be feasible for Columbia.

In any case, Columbia should find a way to make using Flex at Book Culture possible. Having the option to use Flex is important not only because of its convenience, but also because students whose financial aid is comprised largely of loans must wait until loan funds are disbursed before they can access them. The disbursements often do not come out until after textbooks need to be purchased. Without the ability to use these funds through their Flex accounts, many students are forced to delay buying course books until well into the semester, or dip into their living expenses, an option some students may not have.

Though students will always spend a lot of money on textbooks, the ability to use Flex will alleviate some of the monetary pain that comes from buying expensive course materials.