Affordable Access Programs Help Students Thrive

Get the facts about Affordable Access programs and learn how they support college affordability, convenience, student choice, pricing transparency, and academic success.

What is Affordable Access?

Colleges and universities across the nation offer Affordable Access programs to help students save money on textbooks and course materials. These programs deliver students’ required print and digital materials on or before the first day of class at a significant discount compared to retail prices, while preserving academic freedom, supporting choices for students and faculty, and ensuring students have the ability to opt-out if they decide to purchase materials elsewhere.

Hundreds of thousands of college students benefit from the cost savings, ease of access, and convenience offered by access programs. Explore the benefits, see how programs work on college campuses, and take a look at the research on affordability and academic success.

  • “My financial aid package automatically covers the cost of these books, and I have the chance to shop around to make sure I’m getting the best price before being charged … It’s no surprise that our student Senate passed a formal resolution in support of access programs in November 2023.”

    Mitali Jain
    Long Beach State University

  • "What I love about the All Access system is that everything was where I needed it to be. All my textbooks were a part of my digital library. No matter what class it was, I could just easily go there and then find all the textbooks that I needed."

    La’Qusha Bivens
    Alumna of Edward Waters University

  • “The inclusive access program is a perfect example of a college being student-ready, instead of expecting a student to be college-ready. It is by design setting the student up for success."

    Dr. Teri Von Handorf
    Ed.D., Provost, Gateway Community College

  • “From day one, [students] have the course materials they need to be successful. They won’t get discouraged because they fall behind and have to play catch-up. All students start out on a level playing field.”

    Dr. Donald Parker
    M.D., Professor and Inclusive Access Coordinator at Houston Community College

  • "If the foundation that underpins inclusive-access programs is eliminated, many more students will have to repeat the hard choices I had to make the first time I went to school. The Department of Education needs to consider students like me who use financial aid or the GI Bill to pay for college and how much easier having the option to purchase course materials through programs like First Day can make at the start of each term.”

    William Glover
    Broward College

  • “Flexible Access gave an opportunity for students to plan ahead, and also the convenience of knowing that they can just come into the campus store, pick up their books for that semester, and have the right books for their classes that they’re registered for without having to do a lot of extra research or searching around to try to find it for themselves.”

    Clarissa Peterson

    Course Materials Manager, USU

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$33 per material

the average amount students save on course materials through affordable access programs compared to traditional pricing

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86% of students

stated that affordable access programs made them feel better prepared for class.

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$470 million

in total student savings from affordable access programs from 2020-2024.

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57% decrease

The amount opt-out access programs have helped lower student spending
over the past decade.

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91% of students

find it convenient to have their course materials included with tuition or fees.

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83% of students

believe access programs had a positive impact on their academic success.

About AffordableAccess.org

AffordableAccess.org is the definitive source for the latest news and information on Affordable Access programs. Affordable Access programs — often called “Inclusive Access,” “Equitable Access,” “Course Access,” “Total Access,” or “Day-One Access” — help students across the country save money on their textbooks and course materials. By bringing together clear information, real-world examples, and updates from across higher education, AffordableAccess.org helps students, faculty, institutions, and policymakers better understand how these programs work and why they matter.