Affordable access programs deliver digital and physical course materials, and/or required supplies and equipment to students on or before the first day of classes at a significant discount compared to retail prices. Across the country, more than 1,500 institutions rely on these programs to ensure their students receive the affordable course materials they need to succeed academically. (1) Access programs have been credited with helping to bring down course materials costs by 57 percent in the last decade. (2)

1. Kelly L. Denson. Inclusive Access Supports Student Success. September 2022.

2. Student Watch. Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Course Materials. June 2023.

The cost of books, course materials, and supplies for college courses increased by 88% in the two decades leading up to 2016. (1) At the urging of student consumer advocacy groups, Congress enacted the Affordable Books for College Act as part of the Higher Education Act to encourage institutions to adopt Equitable Access programs. The Obama-Biden Department of Education later approved new rules in 2016 to help make sure all institutions followed high standards for the programs, including ensuring they provided course materials at below-market rates and gave students the choice to opt out of the programs. Since then, access programs have become increasingly popular and have been credited with helping to bring down student spending on course materials by an astounding 57 percent. (2)

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Economics Daily. August 2016.

2. Student Watch. Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Course Materials. June 2023.

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education, under the Obama-Biden Administration, explicitly revised federal regulations to allow the cost of books and supplies to be included in tuitions and fees granted that students were given the ability to opt-out and textbooks be provided at below competitive market rates. Federal law also requires the prices of materials to be stated in or linked from the course schedule, and campus stores maintain a list of textbook ISBN pricing for new, used, rental, and digital so students can compare the retail prices to the discounted pricing offered through access programs. Institutions grant students several weeks to opt-out, which can be done easily through the student’s learning management system (LMS). Students receive several reminders, both via email and through alerts in the LMS, about the opt-out process and deadline.

The opt-out structure ensures campuses have the economies of scale necessary to secure bulk discounts from publishers and other suppliers and also guarantees students have their required materials automatically on or before the first day of classes. Students have two to three weeks during the add-drop period to comparison shop and make sure they are getting their materials for the lowest price. When negotiating with publishers, institutions can achieve significant savings in an opt-out program and better terms, as it is operationally more efficient than an opt-in program and that savings can be realized by institutions and students. On average, opt-out access programs save students an average of 59.4 percent compared to new print list prices (PLP) and 30.8 percent from digital list prices (DLP). (1)

1. Internal data from VitalSource, based on a review of hundreds of CNDP programs across the country.

Total costs for students vary by type of program (Inclusive vs Equitable Access), but research has found that affordable access programs have broadly lowered the price of course materials. A study of more than 25,000 courses in Fall 2023 found that access programs saved students nearly $24 per material, representing a 30 percent savings compared to prevailing market pricing for the same material. (1) Overall, student savings from access programs nationwide total more than $130 million. (2)

1. Internal data from VitalSource.

2. Internal data from the National Association of College Stores, covering Inclusive Access programs in the 2022-Spring 2023 academic year.

In short, Inclusive Access programs are offered on a course-by-course basis, while Equitable Access is a campus-wide affordable access program. Both programs provide materials at below-retail prices and include the cost of required course materials in students' tuition, fees, or accounts. With Inclusive Access, individual instructors adopt affordable course materials, often with better terms, so that students in their class have day one access within their campus learning management system. With Equitable Access, every student on campus receives day-one access to all their course materials for one low, flat rate.

No. Access programs provide students, professors, and course administrators with format choices for their required material. While students overwhelmingly appreciate the convenience of digital course materials, not all access programs are digital only. Many operate using both print and digital resources depending on availability and course requirements.

No. Faculty are empowered to make decisions on what course materials will work best for their students, and decisions around whether or not to use courseware are completely separate from access programs. Access programs simply lower the cost of the courseware faculty assign as required.

Affordable access programs offer below competitive market rate pricing and allow students to begin using their materials on day one. Many access programs provide perpetual ownership for students, or full access to materials while they’re enrolled. Additionally, as most access programs are for lower division required courses, most students do not keep these materials and often try to sell them. Campus stores also have flexible policies and work with students who have to retake courses.

Access programs are transparent for students, and the Department of Education conducts extensive audits of institutions for compliance. Institutions are working with the Department to explore opportunities to further increase transparency and clarity around affordable access programs, and we support those efforts.

No. Affordable access programs do not prevent students and faculty from utilizing OER, and many access and OER programs work hand-in-hand. Institutions including California State University (1), Alamo Community College (2), and Iowa State University (3) successfully combined access programs with OER initiatives to achieve even greater savings for students.

1. California State University. Low Cost Course Materials.

2. Alamo Community College. Universal Access Student Resources.

3. Iowa State University. About the Open & Affordable Education Committee.