Open & Affordable Educational Resources Guide

"Inclusive Access" (IA), as it is known to its supporters, or "Automatic Billing," as it is known to its detractors, are educational resources--e.g. textbooks + ancillary materials--that are digital and commercial but whose costs for students are both reduced (when compared to print resources) and included in tuition (charged upon enrollment). IA, like OER, are available immediately to students (e.g. on the first day of class).

Use cases include UC Davis and the University of Arizona. 

Click here for more information on Inclusive Access.

1. IA are sold at discounted cost when compared to the equivalent print textbook (though it is unsure whether there is a discount when compared to the equivalent e-Textbook)
2. IA have the added and attractive features of commercial e-Textbooks
3. IA lessen the up-front impact of the materials' cost, as payment is deferred to tuition bill
4. IA benefit the campus bookstore, who receives a cut of the sales

1. IA are not free like OER, and may still be expensive / unaffordable
2. IA offer no print version, which is a medium of reading that is frequently preferred
3. IA are not permanent but instead charge additional fees for use in perpetuity (beyond the end of the class)
4. IA offer no purchasing alternatives--options to rent, buy used, or re-sell the textbook--thus limiting student choice
5. IA have poor privacy policies, as they collect and sell user data
6. IA have little price transparency 
7. IA prices may rise