Course materials affordability remains a constant concern for students and schools, especially when you consider that students who skip purchasing materials are also more likely to think about dropping out, impacting their success and campus retention rates.
There are several ways your school can help reduce course materials costs, easing the financial burden students face while also improving your bottom line. Awareness and transparency are key — from operational considerations like various delivery models and duplicate prevention controls, to understanding pricing models, applying data analytics, and accurately reconciling invoices.
Under the current administration, career schools have more opportunities to grow. Helping students save money is one such way schools can better serve students and, ultimately, grow their programs. If you are looking for new and better ways to save money on course materials, there is a myriad of strategies to consider. We’ve seen the biggest impact come from the following:
Make sure you are not paying for duplicate materials and items for dropped students
We see it time and time again – charges on invoices for duplicate materials where students purchase an item again without realizing they already have an active license from a prior term or course, as well as charges for dropped students who never even accessed their materials. Unfortunately, schools and students end up paying for materials they don’t need or use. It’s imperative you only pay for net items that are accurately provisioned. When the controls are in place to verify licenses, access, and drops, we’ve seen schools save up to 40% on course materials costs.
Offer automatic fulfillment and access programs
Automatic fulfillment and access programs provide students with print, digital and other materials by the first day of class, and all students need to do is enroll. These programs are not only convenient, but they save money too. Oftentimes discount pricing is available, and more students obtaining more materials means lower costs all around. We’ve even seen these kinds of programs yield savings of 40% to 60% off publisher list price. Automatic fulfillment and access programs can be done at the course and program level, depending on the needs of your students and school. It’s important that your faculty understand how these programs work and when materials are available. You also want to make sure you have the processes in place to apply financial credits for students who opt-out — employing checks and balances to make sure students are not overpaying.
Use your data and verify your course materials invoices
Course materials data can be a powerful asset. When you can track exactly what is being purchased and what is being used, then you’ll know exactly what you owe — no more blindly relying on third-party invoices. Again, the checks and balances are important, so you and your students don’t overpay. You can also use your course materials financial data to support publisher negotiations, ensuring you get the best price possible, and that the prices quoted are the prices reflected on the invoices.
Leverage performance reports to gauge savings and compare metrics and terms
From general sales, inventory, and financial reports, to booklist and affordability reports, make sure you have easy access to all analytics and that they are presented in applicable ways so you can better understand your true costs. For example, a semester summary report can provide insights into all course materials metrics over a term, including number of courses, number of SKU’s, number of distinct titles, number of distinct student orders, sales, returns, credit card purchases, voucher purchases, items shipped by each method, and more. You can compare terms, identify trends, and assess indicators and turning points in pricing, purchases, and revenue, all in an effort to keep course materials costs down.
Educate your faculty and staff on course materials formats and costs
When faculty and staff can clearly see the costs of course materials during the booklist adoption process, some may decide against using a particular item because of the increasing cost to students. Or, some may choose a different format if it means it can save students money. Also, when faculty and staff select items that will be used again in a subsequent term, students can recoup more money for those items through buyback programs.
No matter your course materials approach, costs must be kept in check in order to increase the likelihood that students will comfortably and confidently purchase course materials, ultimately strengthening engagement and success. After all, students who obtain materials are more likely to be prepared for class and retained in their courses and programs – both of which lead to better learning experiences and a healthier bottom line.
Original Publication
https://career.org/web/Multimedia/CER/Fall-2025/What-Are-You-Doing-to-Save-Money-on-Course-Materials-.aspx
About the Author
Marc Konesco, Senior Vice President of Sales
At Ambassador Education Solutions, Marc is charged with helping schools understand and deliver effective, affordable course materials models that adapt to the changing needs of students. Marc has a long tenured run in school, technology, and publisher management. He has held leadership positions at publishing, online learning, and enrollment marketing companies, and led strategy and operations for a career school. Marc is an active member of CECU and sits on the CECU Exhibitor Taskforce.
