This past fall, the Cornell Academic Materials Program (CAMP) launched as a university-wide program providing Cornell undergraduate students with access to their required textbooks and coursepacks for a single flat-rate cost of $225 per semester. As the clock winds down on the academic year, CAMP program leaders are taking stock of its first-year successes as well as discussing where it can be improved for eligible students.

“The price is predictable for students,” said Brian Young, academic materials manager at the Cornell Store. “They know at most their materials are going to cost $225 per semester. And, if materials happen to be less for any individual student, we encourage them to make the best decision for them, as they do have the option to opt out of the program.”

At the beginning of the fall, this universal cost for materials looks to have been popular with the student body. Of the almost 15,000 eligible students, a little over 10,000 used the program the full term, which was better than anticipated by program leaders.

“We were planning on only about a 60% opt in for the first time around, so the numbers we saw were definitely great for us to see,” Young said. “We believe this initial success reflects the fact that students recognize the value of the program.”

See the full story on the Student & Campus Life website.