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Affordable Access

Access programs not only improve course material access, affordability, and convenience, but also increase student outcomes, all while maintaining academic freedom for faculty. Learn how schools of all sizes are seeing transformative impacts.

What are access programs?

Access programs are offered campus-wide, sometimes called Equitable Access, or on a course-by-course basis, a model known as Inclusive Access. Here’s how they work: All required course materials are provided to students on or before the first day of class. In most cases, materials are provided digitally inside the campus learning management system (LMS), offering students maximum convenience.

In addition to convenience, these programs improve course material affordability. Students pay for the course materials via a course fee applied after the add drop period, and opting out of the program is easy. The core mission of both programs is to ensure all students have the necessary resources to succeed in higher education from day one.

 

Access Programs Boost Student Success

Research shows that Access programs improve student outcomes and result in millions of combined savings, compared to the cost of new textbooks.

With Access, your school delivers a collegiate experience that’s equitable, affordable, and convenient. We’ve helped hundreds of schools of all sizes prepare their students for success—at the course level and campus-wide—while meeting critical strategic goals aligned to diversity, equity, and inclusion; digital innovation; retention; and more.

Launching an Access Program is Easier than Ever

What sets our Access programs apart? Our industry-leading LMS integrations. Like a streaming device for digital learning content, our best-in-class technology consolidates all your LMS learning tool integrations into just one.

Follett’s LMS integration gives you the power to do what no other platform can: allow students to access all their learning materials with a single click.

With Follett, your students get seamless access (no access codes ever!) with best-in-class data privacy protections and security, ensuring that private student data never leaves campus.

Campus-Wide Access

With a campus-wide Access model, every student in every course receives day-one access to the course materials they need to succeed, which can also include print books, supplies, and computers.
Hear a Campus-Wide Access Story

Course-by-Course Access

With a course-by-course Access model, individual instructors adopt affordable, digital-first course materials to ensure students have seamless and secure day-one access within the campus LMS.
See Access in Action
WHAT STUDENTS AND FACULTY SAY
“Knowing students have access to materials on the first day allows me to cover material quicker and all students are on a level playing field. ”
Faculty
Miami Dade College
“I like having all my books on my laptop. It’s easy, fast, and saves me so much money. ”
Student
University of New Orleans
“It was nice to be offered a discounted option for materials and not having to stress about purchasing the material that was not needed. ”
Student
Baylor University

Industry leading
convenience and security

2.7M

students served through Affordable Access programs

400+

campuses with Access programs in the Follett family

30%

average savings to students compared to new textbooks

15.5%

Research suggests that students in campus-wide Access programs average a 15.5% increase in course completion rates

Recommended Resource
Video

Access Programs: The Faculty Perspective

Angie Springer at Danville Area Community College shares her thoughts on the impact of Access programs, which have…
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Frequently asked questions

Learn more about Follett’s Inclusive and Equitable Access programs

What are the differences between Inclusive and Equitable Access?
Inclusive Access provides day-one access to course materials at the course-by-course level, with variable pricing per title; Equitable Access delivers the same seamless access for the entire campus at a per term flat rate. With Equitable Access, students can choose to opt out at the program level each term; with Inclusive Access, they opt out at the section level. In both cases, faculty have the academic freedom to choose any content, including OER.
Do Inclusive and Equitable Access programs include print materials?
Yes, Equitable Access (EA) programs include print materials. We now price EA programs for students to keep print materials, based on preference and need, and negotiate with publishers to increase lifetime access to digital materials.
Can students opt-out of Inclusive and Equitable Access?
Yes. Students can opt out in just a few clicks. There is no limit to the amount of students who can opt-out, however, our campuses regularly see that the vast majority of students stay in the program once enrolled. We can automatically opt students out of Equitable Access if they are enrolled in all courses with OER, free content, or receive no course materials at all.
Does an Access program change the faculty adoption process?
There’s no change to the adoption process when you launch an Access program! Faculty have the academic freedom to select the best materials for their class needs—across 6,000 content providers–and can adopt, or re-adopt, their titles in one click [Link to new faculty adoption video]. Digital versions of materials are prioritized, to ensure the lowest possible cost for students.
How are students notified and charged for the Access program?
Your Access contact at Follett can work with you directly on the best plan for your campus to ensure clear communication to students throughout the program’s launch.Students receive personalized emails directly from Follett with information about your school’s Access program, the anticipated low-cost fee, and opt-out deadlines. Students are notified in advance of the program’s start date, so they’re well informed about the benefits of Access, how much it costs, and how much they’re saving compared to new textbooks (up to 60%!).
When enrolled in an Access program, how do students find their materials?
Digital materials will be available directly in the student’s LMS by the first day of class. If the student is receiving physical books or materials through a campus-wide Access program, the campus store will email them with their order confirmation and pick-up date.
How does the Access program integrate on our campus’ systems?
A dedicated Implementation Lead from Follett will work directly with your campus’ IT, Security, and Enrollment teams to guide all stakeholders through a seamless integration process within your Learning Management System. Learn more about our integrations capabilities here.