RESOURCE

Increasing Access, Affordability, and Student Success

Aug 21, 2025

As the cost of higher education continues to rise, institutions that implement Affordable Access programs save students money while improving academic preparedness and success. The following information is adapted from Tyton Partners’ recent report: Course Materials in Higher Education.

Bryant, G., McVety, C. (2025, April). Course Materials in Higher Education. Tyton Partners. https://tytonpartners.com/course-materials-in-higher-education/

What are Affordable Access Programs?

Affordable Access programs are digital-first course material delivery models that ensure all students have access to materials on the first day of class at a reduced cost.

Testimonials and Trends

“The only cost in higher education that has decreased over the last few years is for [course materials], and it’s because of these access models. Tuition and costs for insurance, housing, and everything else have gone up, but not for [course materials].”

– Assistant Director of Course Materials, Public Four-Year University

Bar graph comparing the percentage of faculty who reported participating in an Affordable Access program.

Improved Student Outcomes

Affordable Access programs ensure that students have easy access to course materials on or before their first day of class, improving academic preparation, participation, and outcomes. Students are:

27% more likely

to earn a passing letter grade

60% less likely

to withdraw from their course

Based on peer-reviewed studies at Onondaga Community College and Technical College of the Lowcountry. Moore, M. (2022, July 27). Equitable access: A participant v. non-participant course completion rate analysis from 2-year institutions*

Students Prefer Affordable Access: Saving Time and Money

Students’ Preferred Way to Obtain Course Materials

Faculty demonstrate strong support for Affordable Access programs.

Illustration of four green figures, three are highlighted to represent faculty who want to maintain Affordable Access.

75% of faculty

indicated wanting their institution to maintain or increase Affordable Access programs.

Illustration of a blue chat bubble with a white smiley face to represent students who feel satisfied with Affordable Access.

84% of students

feel satisfied or neutral about their Affordable Access user experience.

Students who are satisfied with their Affordable Access user experience most frequently cite:

The convenience of not shopping for materials (80%)
Day-one access (78%)

Green icon of a coin being dropped into a piggy bank to represent savings.

Students participating in Affordable Access programs

saved 36%

on average per course.

Blue icon of a computer mouse on top of a checklist to represent educational course materials.

With Affordable Access programs, students are

paying $58

on average per course for their course materials.

Savings reported throughout this section are derived from a database of 1,088 US-based institutions that have contracted with Barnes & Noble College, Follett, RedShelf, or VitalSource. Further detail on this database is provided in Appendix C of the Tyton Partners' recent report, Course Materials in Higher Education. Tyton Partners completed the analysis of this data to ensure data integrity, statistical significance of results, and institution and publisher anonymity.

Convenience and Access for Students

Affordable Access programs increase convenience and lower costs by:

Ensuring students have access to their required course materials no later than the 1st day of class.
Ensuring that the materials are at a reduced cost.
Charging for materials alongside tuition and fees on a student's account to allow financial aid to be applied, and ensuring that students have the ability to opt out.