Get the facts about Inclusive Access.
“Inclusive Access” is a college textbook sales model that adds the cost of course materials into students’ tuition and fees.
While these programs are advertised as a solution, they make it harder for students to make personal choices and fall short on making course materials affordable long-term. You deserve the facts.
What is Inclusive Access?
“Inclusive Access,” also known as automatic textbook billing, is a sales strategy in which the cost of digital textbooks and other course materials is embedded directly into student tuition and fees. This means students are automatically enrolled and charged for these resources unless they intentionally opt out during a short window at the beginning of the term.
Although these programs are marketed as a way to improve access and reduce costs, students often lose access to their course materials once the class ends—unless they pay additional fees. The model also eliminates the opportunity to compare prices or choose alternative formats, such as used books or open educational resources. Despite heavy promotion by major publishers and campus bookstores, Inclusive Access can ultimately reduce transparency, limit student autonomy, and fail to provide meaningful long-term savings. Learn more.
Does Inclusive Access save students money?
The advertised savings are not always what they seem. Inclusive Access prices may still be higher than what students could find elsewhere, particularly if they had the option to buy secondhand copies or purchase only the items they need. The savings advertised by vendors are often calculated by assuming every student buys a new print version of each book, which few students actually do. Some Inclusive Access programs even charge students for access to free OER. Learn more.
Decide for yourself.
Raising awareness of the facts.
The cost of college textbooks has increased sharply over the last several decades, which has harmed student access and success. Everyone agrees that this is a problem. As higher education leaders consider new textbook sales models that advertise lower costs, the campus community deserves to fully understand how these models impact students and faculty. InclusiveAccess.org is a community-driven initiative to raise awareness about the facts about automatic textbook billing. Learn more by selecting your role below.
Administrators
Faculty
Students
Policymakers
Is automatic textbook billing inclusive? Decide for yourself.
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