Navigating the UCF Textbook Opt-In Program: A Guide to Affordable Instructional Materials
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is dedicated to making instructional materials more affordable and transparent for its students. This commitment is formalized through Florida Statute 1004.085 and Florida Board of Governors Regulation 8.003. UCF employs several strategies to reduce the costs of textbooks and other learning resources. These efforts are spearheaded by the Affordable Instructional Materials (AIM) Initiative, a collaborative effort involving various university departments and stakeholders.
The Affordable Instructional Materials (AIM) Initiative
The AIM Initiative represents a University-wide collaboration that includes the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs, the Division of Digital Learning, the UCF Libraries, the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL), the UCF Bookstore, and other University stakeholders. The AIM Initiative focuses on efforts in the areas of Open Educational Resources (OER), Library-Sourced Materials, First Day, and Affordability Counts.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
UCF faculty have actively embraced open or library-sourced materials, impacting over 200,000 student enrollments and potentially saving students just over $20 million.
Library-Sourced Materials
The UCF Libraries plays a crucial role in providing access to library-sourced materials. The "eTextbook Portal" guides students on how to determine if their digital textbook is available for free through the library. Furthermore, the UCF Libraries offers Leganto, a tool designed to streamline the management of course materials directly within Canvas.
Understanding First Day® Inclusive Access
First Day® is Barnes & Noble College’s inclusive access model, where digital course materials are included as an additional course charge for a particular course or program. First Day® is your bookstore’s Inclusive Access program. It offers discounted digital course materials to students.
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Opt-In Process for First Day®
For students to receive the discounted price, they need to select “opt-in” for the materials in their webcourse before the Drop/Add period for any given semester. If electronic materials for the course are eligible for First Day®, the student will need to click on the Course Materials tool in the course to opt-in. During the opt-in period, students will have free access to the publisher material.
Billing and Payment
When students choose to “opt-in” to First Day®, they will not be expected to pay at that time. Instead, their student account will get automatically billed, and they will be responsible for payment when their account comes due.
Faculty Considerations for First Day®
Very little to nothing changes in terms of the faculty experience. However, one item to note is that the First Day® submission for course materials adoption (via AIP) will have an earlier date than the standard adoption deadline. You will still need to place your adoption in AIP. If you are making First Day® available for your courses, here are some additional resources to help you with that process. These documents contain similar information but are provided and customized by the publishers.
Technical Assistance
If a technical issue occurs with the Course Materials tool itself, students can also contact Bookstore Customer Care for assistance. Customer Care hours of operation are 11pm Sunday - 12am Saturday (Central Time).
Financial Aid Assistance Programs
Recognizing that financial aid disbursements typically begin during the second week of each semester, UCF offers two programs to assist financial aid recipients with purchasing their textbooks: the Textbook Purchase Program and the Short Term Advance for Books.
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Textbook Purchase Program
Students registered for classes at any of the UCF Connect Campuses are likely to purchase textbooks/course materials from the bookstore on that campus site. For consideration, students must “opt-in” each semester on their myUCF Student Center. Eligible students can then purchase up to $600 on required books and supplies at the on-campus UCF Bookstores by simply presenting their UCF ID Card. Only the amount spent at the UCF Bookstores will be added as a charge to the student’s account. Once financial aid is disbursed, it will pay off this charge after other UCF expenses are paid. The Textbook Purchase Program is available three weeks before classes begin and the first week of classes each semester.
Short Term Advance for Books
The Short Term Advance is available to assist students with books and supplies expenses by “advancing” up to $600 of their financial aid to them. The students receive the funding via direct deposit or check, and then may use it at any bookstore to purchase their books. Once financial aid disburses, the Short Term Advance debt is paid, along with other university expenses. A $5.00 non-refundable processing fee will be assessed and added to the balance of the advance. Please Note: Short Term Advance eligibility is determined by the information available at the time the application is reviewed.
Textbook Adoption Deadlines
Textbook and instructional materials adoptions are due no later than 60 days prior to the start of the semester for all courses taught that term. Please note, these are the university deadlines.
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