Textbook Access & Affordability

To meet the federal requirements: 

• Campuses must, to the maximum extent practical, disclose on their online course schedules the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and retail price for each required or recommended textbook, or supplemental materials, for the listed courses. If the ISBN is unavailable, campuses must list the author, title and publisher of the textbooks or supplement, or indicate that the required information has yet to be determined. 

• Campuses must, as soon as practicable, make available to the campus bookstore, upon its request, the most accurate information regarding the number of students enrolled in a course or class and the maximum student enrollment for such a course or class. 

• Publishers are required to give faculty textbook pricing information and let them know if the book is available as a bundle or in alternate formats. 

• Campuses must inform students about how to save money on textbooks, including used books, cash back programs, etc. 

• Campuses, faculty, booksellers and publishers are encouraged to collaborate on cost reduction strategies. 

The information campuses are required by this law to provide can be placed either on the campus’s own online schedule or could be linked from the course schedule to the campus bookstore website. 

Read more about the federal law.

To meet the state requirements: 

• Upon request, publishers must provide faculty members or purchasing entities with the price the publisher is charging stores for textbooks and supplemental materials. 

• Textbooks shall be sold in the same manner as ordered by a faculty member. Publishers or campus stores are not permitted to bundle books by adding software, computer discs or other technological devices to a textbook, unless ordered as a bundle by the faculty member. 

• If a textbook or course material is unavailable, the bookstore, faculty member and publisher must work together to find a substitute. The publisher will make the prices of substitutes readily available. 

• Campuses are required to institute policies that encourage faculty to place their orders with sufficient lead time to confirm availability of the requested materials and, when appropriate, the availability of used texts or alternate digital formats. 

• Employees of campuses are prohibited from benefiting financially by adopting specific course materials required for coursework. Employees, however, may receive sample copies, instructor’s copies or instructional materials that are not to be sold. Such employees may receive royalties or other compensation from sales of textbooks that include their own work. Employees may receive honoraria for academic peer review of course materials and may receive training in the use of course materials and learning technologies.

This rule applies to both undergraduate and graduate classes — with an exception for independent study courses, in which course materials are decided upon between the faculty member and student. 

This rule also applies to all course materials, including but not limited to: 

• Textbooks 

• Written material 

• Access codes 

• Course packs 

• Open Educational Resources (OER)  

• Bundles (one or more textbooks or other supplemental materials that may be packaged together to be sold as course materials for one price) 

Basically, this mandate applies to any course materials (printed or electronic) that are required for a course — regardless of whether the student must pay for them.  

If a course does not require materials, it must be listed as “no course materials required” in AIP. 

Adopting course materials through AIP does not require students to purchase their materials through the campus bookstore. 

If you are advising students to purchase materials elsewhere, please include that information in the “Notes to Bookstore” section on AIP. Note: This could reduce the availability of course materials to students on or before the first day of classes, especially if they are using certain scholarships and grants. 

Watch an AIP introduction video to get started.

The University is required to make information about textbooks and other course materials available to students to the maximum extent possible.  

If a department doesn’t know who will teach a course or what materials will be used, please report that information to [email protected] to mark a course list as pending. 

You may also report a “standard list” of course materials using AIP or by emailing [email protected] to mark a course list as pending. 

In either situation, once the final list of course materials is determined, please report them using AIP or by emailing [email protected] as soon as possible. 

To update course materials after the deadline, report them using AIP or by emailing [email protected] as soon as possible. Note: Late adoption course materials may not be available on or before the first day of classes.