Tag: higher education

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February 16, 2023

American Publishers Working to Improve Access, Affordability and Outcomes for College Students

American Publishers Working to Improve Access, Affordability and Outcomes for College Students

Working with colleges and universities across the country, American publishers are helping to ensure that students have access to affordable course materials on the first day of class through an innovation in course material delivery called Inclusive Access.

Inclusive Access really began to gain momentum in 2015 when the U.S. Department of Education issued federal guidance allowing institutions of higher learning to charge for course materials as part of tuition and fees, which meant that students could use financial aid to pay for the course materials they needed.

Since then, these course materials – known collectively as Inclusive Access – have rapidly gained traction on college campuses across the country. In fact, according to 2022 research from Student Watch, 39 percent of students acquired materials through Inclusive Access models, up from 15 percent in 2019.

Learn more about Inclusive Access and its benefits in this video:

The benefits of Inclusive Access range from first-day access, to affordability, to improving student outcomes for success.

Benefits of Inclusive Access

First Day Access for ALL Students

Students enrolled in an Inclusive Access course gain access on the first day of class to their instructor required course materials – promoting equity in education.

Lowest Market Rate

Required by DOE regulation, institutions can charge students the lowest market rate at scale for their instructor required course materials, within tuition and fees, so students can use financial aid money without delay.

Convenience

Students don’t have to spend valuable time shopping around for the lowest price and/or waiting for their materials to arrive. Course materials are delivered seamlessly within their learning management system, no access codes needed.

Flexibility – Faculty and Student Choice

Faculty decide if Inclusive Access is right for their particular course and students have the ability to opt out if they wish to obtain their course materials a different way.

Improvements in Student Outcomes

ALL students receive access to high quality course materials by the first day of class ensuring they have the necessary resources to begin learning day-one. Research shows an increase in student success and completion for students – with the highest increases for under-represented populations such as Black students and students over 25 years old.*


Of course, education publishers continue to offer high-quality content through other models, including purchased or rented digital materials, individual learning apps, and digital subscription models.

But because Inclusive Access offers so many benefits it has quickly become the first choice for many educators and students. In fact, it is now being used at institutions in nearly all 50 states.

*Source:
Moore, M., & Piazza, B. (2022). Inclusive Access Course Materials: An Analysis of Waukesha County Technical College’s Inclusive Access Program. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/nfu4g
Moore, M. (2022). Equitable Access: A Participant v. Non-Participant Course Completion Rate Analysis from 2-Year Institutions. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/drqz9

Press Release

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September 15, 2022

Inclusive Access Supports Student Success

Inclusive Access Supports Student Success

As college students head back to school this fall, a highlight continues to be the quality and affordability of the course materials that will help them learn and succeed. Trends that have only accelerated with the digital transition in education since the pandemic.

For the past ten years, publishers have forged ahead with a twin focus on quality and affordability, leading to a significant decrease in student spending on course materials. In addition, publishers have been able to provide students with innovative new products that increase accessibility, and provide them with a broad spectrum of course material options to choose from.

One of those innovations has been the course delivery model Inclusive Access, which provides students with access to course materials on the first day of class, at the guaranteed lowest market rate. The model continues to gain popularity, with more than 1,500 campuses (and growing). According to new 2022 research from Student Watch, 39 percent of students have acquired materials through Inclusive Access models, up from 15 percent in 2019.

What’s more, the reduced costs are also folded into tuition, reducing the need for separate materials at the beginning of the semester. Federal regulations permit students to pay for Inclusive Access materials through loans or grants under Title IV of the Higher Education Act and require them to be available at the lowest cost available on the market.

Kelly L. Denson is Vice President of Education Policy and Programs at the Association of American Publishers and a former teacher.

Research has also shown that Inclusive Access often leads to major increases in student success for diverse student groups.

Researcher Michael Moore from the University of New Hampshire found that Black students, female students, and students over the age of 25 had the “largest increase in success rates” when comparing student success before and after using Inclusive Access. Inclusive Access models may have a massive impact on increasing equity in the learning environment.

And faculty appreciate that students can have their materials on the first day of class, giving them more time to start their assignments and increase their chances of successfully completing the course. Inclusive Access also provides flexibility and can be implemented on a department level, on a course-by-course basis, or even by course section.

More research continues to be done on this innovative course material delivery model. Education publishers continue to prioritize affordability, offering high-quality content and course materials in a variety of delivery models that have been proven to dramatically reduce the cost to students – including Inclusive Access, as well as digital, rentals, or digital subscription models, and individual learning apps.