Faculty
A national study of nearly 6,000 college students conducted in 2020 found that 65% skipped out on buying at least one of their required textbooks because they couldn’t afford it, even though they knew it might affect their grade in the class. Textbook costs have risen one thousand percent since the 1970s, and four times the rate of inflation since the early 2000s (Jenkins, 2020).
Institutions across the country have looked for innovative ways to support their students’ access and affordability needs. Our Day One Digital Access (D1DA) program, like others in the Cal State System and other systems nationally, has seen great popularity among students, providing more affordable digital textbooks since its inception in 2019.
The CSU Chancellor’s Office has long supported digital textbooks, and after several years of success, D1DA is now being transitioned to D1TA, where students pay one flat rate and receive all their materials by the first day of class. In Fall 2024 semester we will launch D1TA, bringing the digital-first model to all students across campus. This program is priced at $250 per semester for full-time students and $165 per semester for part-time students.
- Purchasing data from CSULB students in particular show a clear preference for digital materials (77 percent) over print (23 percent).
- At CSULB, on average 1.5 books are required per class(for classes that require books), and the average per class cost of those materials is $125. At these prices, students who have more than two classes that require books would benefit from this program.
- Over 245 colleges and universities have implemented digital programs. In California, specifically, UC Davis led by launching their program in 2019, San Diego State University followed in 2021, Cal Poly Pomona in 2023, and multiple other state universities are preparing digital program launches.
For more information, see our Faculty FAQ Page.
