| What is automatic textbook billing? |
Automatic textbook billing programs, which textbook companies commonly market as inclusive access or equitable access programs, are sales models for textbooks and other course materials. These programs are typically structured to include access to digital materials by the first day of class and are automatically billed to students on top of the cost of tuition. Different vendors or institutions have a variety of names for these programs, with "First Day," "Instant Access," or "Day One" being some examples.
| What do "inclusive access" and "equitable access" mean? |
Inclusive Access"Inclusive access" programs typically operate on a course-by-course sales model. These programs may be used by a specific college, department, or an entire institution. Students receive temporary access to digital materials by the first day of class. Programs are "inclusive" in that textbooks and sometimes homework systems are included in the charge for materials. |
Equitable Access"Equitable access" programs operate on a flat fee per credit hour sales model. Equitable access programs are "all or nothing," with students either paying for their full course load or opting out for all courses -- even if some of their courses use no-cost resources. These programs are "equitable" in that all students pay an equal amount, regardless of the specific courses they choose or their major. |
| What about affordable course materials? |
Affordable course materials take a variety of forms, as the chart on this page demonstrates. One category of affordable course materials is Open Educational Resources (OER).
Open Educational Resources (OER) are textbooks and other learning resources that are openly licensed, typically through a Creative Commons license, with the ability for instructors and students to freely retain copies, reuse, revise, remix, and share. OER are free, no-cost materials. OER offer availability on the first day of class, access into the future after the course ends, and cost students $0.
| How do they compare? |
The chart below was created by the Colorado Department of Higher Education OER Council to compare the benefits of each of these types of materials.
Some of the content above is adapted from "Affordable Course Materials Options" information guide from the Colorado OER Council.