Some colleges participate in inclusive access programs, which make books available digitally to all students on the first day of class, if a professor opts in. Students have the option to either keep the digital textbook access at a discounted price, or decline and buy the textbook elsewhere. This program makes it easy for students and can help them cut costs, says Mike Hale, vice president of education for North America for VitalSource, an online textbook and materials provider. "They didn't have to search for it, they didn't have to buy it, it's just there," he says.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/11-ways-cut-textbook-costs-181529004.html
