Inclusive Access can provide first-day access to content, but it constrains students’ choices as consumers.

With Inclusive Access, digital content is delivered to students by the first day of their course, often through a learning management system. Students have a period to “opt out” before they are automatically billed for the content as part of their tuition and fees. After the end of the course, students typically lose access to the content.

This model can be convenient for some students, but many students like to shop around for lower-cost materials, or they may want to borrow materials from the library or from friends for free. Some also may prefer a hard copy of the book, or they may advocate for their instructor to use free course materials, such as OER. Inclusive Access makes students who want—or need—to save extra money jump through extra hoops.

When students pay for textbooks, which format do they choose?

Digital textbooks have been widely available for more than a decade, yet they are still not as popular as used books with students. According to research by the National Association of College Stores, students bought more used print textbooks than digital textbooks over the last year—even with the increased emphasis on online learning during the pandemic.

How many students rely on textbook cost reduction strategies?

Many studies have found that student spending on textbooks has trended down over the last decade, even as overall prices went up. This is because the vast majority of students use cost reduction strategies to cut their overall bill. The most common strategy according to surveys? Shopping off-campus—an option that Inclusive Access programs limit.

Further Reading

Textbooks are pricey. So students are getting creative. (The Washington Post, 2020)

Student Textbook and Instructional Materials Survey (Florida Virtual Campus, 2022)