Smart Start Course Materials Program

 

Smart Start provides students with required course materials at reduced costs, helping ensure everyone is prepared on the first day of class. All students are automatically enrolled when registering for courses and receive both digital and physical materials. Digital materials are available in Canvas by the first day of class. Physical materials can be picked up at the Campus Store. Smart Start helps lower course material costs (often up to 60% less than retail), reduces stress, and provides convenient access to materials so students can focus on learning.

Students may opt out of the program each semester with no penalty. Students who opt out are responsible for obtaining their own required materials.

How Smart Start Program Works

  • Student registers for courses and are automatically enrolled in the Smart Start Program

  • Digital materials available in Canvas and physical picked up at the Campus Store

  • Student arrive to class prepared with all required materials

  • Physical materials returned to the Campus Store at the end of the term

Can I opt out of Follett Access?

Yes. While most students will save money with the Follett Access per-unit textbook cost, some whose classes require inexpensive books may prefer to opt out and purchase their books individually.

Key Details:

Important Reminders:

  • Opting out applies to your entire semester schedule.
  • You are responsible for purchasing all required course materials on your own.
  • You cannot opt in or out for individual courses.
  • You must opt out before the deadline for a full refund.

How to Determine if Opting Out Makes Sense:

The Merced College Bookstore Website can help you calculate the total cost of textbooks for your classes. The cost is $21.50 per-unit for the Follett Access fee, opting out might be more affordable.

Opting In and Out of the Program:

You can opt out—and opt back in—through the Follett Access Textbook Program Portal.

For assistance, contact the Merced College Bookstore at (209) 384-6280 or via email at [email protected].

If you need more assistance, you can find additional resources, support articles, and self-help tools, on our customer support page here: Customer Support Center.

Smart Start Program

Follett – our campus store provider – works on behalf of the campus to negotiate required material prices with publishers down to the lowest possible price. Follett then works with the campus store to ensure all required digital materials appear in the student’s Canvas and all required physical materials are prepared for pickup by the first day of class, as applicable.

All students are automatically enrolled in the program, and students who are not interested in the material savings can opt out of the program each term with no penalty. Students who opt out of the program are responsible for finding and purchasing their own required materials.

Visit How to access my Ebook and Courseware webpage

Faculty will be notified at the point of adoptions and students will be notified at the point of course registration. Additionally, all participating students and faculty will receive communications to their school email address providing them with all necessary program information including deadlines, fees, and how to opt-out/opt-in as available. Be on the lookout for the following emails with the following subject lines:

  • Kortext | Your New Materials from… | Faculty
  • Important Information Regarding your Course Materials for the Upcoming Term | Faculty & Students
  • Welcome to Smart Start | Students
  • Your Order is Ready for Pick-Up | Students with physical materials

Yes! Students can save up to 60% off the original price thanks to the campus store’s relationships with publishing partners and bulk purchasing power. The program also reduces student stress during the purchasing process and provides a method to easily access, manage and use all course materials regardless of format or cost.

Also, with consistent and transparent pricing, students can budget each semester knowing their required materials will cost $21.50 per credit hour.

Students are automatically enrolled when they register but may opt out before the deadline for a full refund. There is no penalty, and students must choose EACH semester. If they opt out, they are responsible for purchasing their own materials.

Students can opt in or out anytime during the opt period through the opt out portal. If physical materials were picked up, they must be returned to the campus store before opting out.

For a demonstration of how to opt out, watch this video.

Once the student registers for their courses, the student is automatically enrolled in Smart Start and the campus store will get all their required materials for that course ready for them! Students will receive confirmation emails to their school account sharing details to access their digital materials in the Canvas, as applicable. If the student has physical materials, the campus store will communicate with them when they can pick up these materials, as applicable.
Students will find this information in the emails, as applicable:

  • Important Information Regarding your Course Materials for the Upcoming Term | Faculty & Students
  • Your Order is Ready for Pick-Up | Students with physical materials

Frequently Asked Questions

Depending on the classes and the course materials required, students may receive a combination of digital course materials, physical textbooks, printed lab manuals or workbooks.

Note – all physical materials provided through Smart Start must be returned to the campus store at the end of the term.

Only required digital and/or physical materials for courses participating in the program are included. For suggested, recommended, or other course materials, you can order these materials online or visit the campus store where textbook experts will be happy to assist you.

  • Required: it is necessary for the course.
  • Recommended: the instructor has suggested an item that may be helpful.

Only materials identified by the faculty as “required” are included in the program. All “recommended” materials may be available for purchase separately at the campus store.

If a student adds or drops a course, that information is automatically transmitted to the campus store.

Added courses: Within 24 hours of adding a course, students will receive an email at their school email address with details to access their digital materials and/or if their materials are already provisioned directly into Canvas. If the course requires physical materials, students will receive an email to their school email address letting them know when the new print materials are ready for pick-up.

Dropped courses: For courses dropped prior to the last day to drop/add/opt-out/opt-in deadline, access to electronic or digital materials will be automatically disabled. If the course requires physical materials, they must be returned to the campus store.

All students are automatically enrolled in the program once they register for their courses. Students may choose to opt out and remove themselves from the program before the out-out deadline for a full refund. If a student opts out, they are then responsible for finding/purchasing their required materials independently. Students must take action to opt out of the program each term. There is no penalty for opting out.

Note – if the student has picked up any physical materials provided through Smart Start, the student must return those physical materials to the campus store before they will be able to opt out of the program and have the program charge removed.

If the opt-out/opt-in period has not ended, students can opt back in/out by going to the opt-out portal and choosing “opt-in”/”opt-out”. They can login to the opt-out portal which is also sent to their student email address.

For a demonstration of how to opt out, watch this video.

Required physical materials must be returned to the campus store at the end of each term. Digital materials can be accessed for a minimum of 180 days and may be available for a longer period of time based on the material adopted and the publisher’s terms.

Students participating in the program will have their required digital materials available directly in the campus’ LMS. Students will receive emails from [email protected] with instructions and details on accessing their materials. For any technical issues and additional support, students can email [email protected].

For self-help articles and resources, visit the Kortext help site.

You have your course materials. What’s next? Your campus store has the best selection of officially licensed campus gear around. We are ready to outfit you head to toe, with school spirit. Visit your campus store to grab all your spirit items, supplies and technology and meet your friendly campus store staff who are a knowledgeable resource to help you throughout the term.

If you need more assistance, you can find additional resources, support articles, and self-help tools, on our customer support page here: Customer Support Center. You can use our friendly chatbot in the bottom right of the page to be guided through tools for your specific questions.

Have a Question?

Connect with a staff member and get your questions answered.

Phone: (209) 384-6280
Email: [email protected]