Flexible Access Overview & Program Switching
This video provides an overview of the Flexible Access program and walks through how students can manage their course materials. It demonstrates how to switch between Total Access and Course Access, how to opt out of access programs, and what happens after making a selection. The video also explains billing differences, retail purchase options, and important considerations for print materials that have already shipped.
Written Transcript
In this video, we’ll walk through how to manage your materials in the Flexible Access program.
Flexible Access combines Total Access, Course Access, and retail options into one comprehensive program. It allows you to choose how you’d like to access your course materials.
When you sign in, you’ll automatically default into the Total Access option.
In My Courses, you’ll see indicators in the secondary banner showing that your materials are included in the program. Digital materials can be opened immediately, and print materials will show tracking information if they’ve shipped.
At the top of the page, you’ll see a banner with a countdown indicating how much time you have left to make changes to your enrollment.
If you’d like to explore other options, click the “Switch Programs” button in the main banner.
From here, you can switch to Course Access, which allows you to manage materials one item at a time, or you can choose to opt out of access programs entirely.
For now, let’s walk through the Course Access option.
After selecting Course Access and confirming your choice, the page will update. You’ll see which materials are included in the program and which required items may need to be purchased separately.
Course Access still bills eligible materials directly to your student account but gives you the flexibility to opt out of individual titles instead of leaving the program entirely.
On each included item, you’ll see an “Opt Out” link. If you choose to opt out of a specific title and confirm your selection, that item will update immediately. Your billing amount and item counts will adjust automatically.
If you decide that neither Total Access nor Course Access is the right fit, you can choose to fully opt out of access programs.
To do this, click “Switch Programs” and select “Opt Out of Programs.” You’ll review the materials included in the program and confirm your selection before finalizing your decision.
Once your opt out is confirmed, your item cards will update to reflect the change, and traditional retail purchase options will appear where applicable.
At that point, just remember that required materials are still required for your class. If you opt out — either completely or for an individual item — you’ll need to purchase those materials yourself using the “Purchase Options” button. These purchases are made at checkout with a credit card or financial aid and are not billed to your student account.
And one additional thing to note — if a print item has already shipped when you opt out, you’ll see a notice on that item letting you know it needs to be returned, and an email will be sent to you with next steps.
If you change your mind, you can opt back in anytime before the deadline by selecting “Opt In” on the item card or by using the option available in the banner at the top of the page.
You can continue adjusting your selections anytime before the opt deadline shown in the banner.
And that’s how you manage your enrollment in Flexible Access.