TAAP:
Textbook Affordability and Access ProgramAbout TAAP Membership
How does it work?
On or before the first day of class, students will receive all required physical and digital course materials without placing individual orders or paying out of pocket.
All students are automatically enrolled in TAAP membership with the option to “TAAP out.” Each student will have a personalized value sheet within their portal; they will then be able to make an informed decision to keep their membership or to TAAP out. When TAAPing out, it is all or nothing. Students either TAAP out entirely or stay in for all courses. Students can regain their membership once TAAPed out until the Census. Learn how to navigate your TAAP account
What are the costs?
TAAP membership for Fall 2024 is calculated on a $25 (plus tax) flat amount per credit hour.
Benefits of Membership
Equity for All: TAAP advocates for educational equity, guaranteeing universal access to required materials. Similar to tuition, TAAP membership ensures that all students, regardless of their chosen degree, incur the same charges for required materials.
Timely Material Access: Experience the convenience of having all course materials delivered or ready for pick-up on or before the first day of class, eliminating delays or uncertainties. *Dependent on faculty selection and availability.
Academic Enhancement: Improve your academic performance with on-time, readily available course materials, potentially leading to early class engagement, higher grades, increased course completion, and higher graduation rates.
Financial Relief: Reduce costs and alleviate financial stressors often associated with course materials, making education more affordable.
No up-front costs: There are no out-of-pocket expenses for course materials. The TAAP membership charge is conveniently placed on your student account and not payable until billed by the Bursar. You can essentially “test drive” the program at no charge up until census.
Predictable costs: Easy to budget because it removes the uncertainty of how much textbooks will cost. Because it is based on your credit hours, you will always be able to calculate the cost upfront using your Personalized Value Sheet.
Price Transparency: Each semester, you are provided with a Personalized Value Sheet that compares your TAAP membership charge with the cost of the course materials at market rates. This provides you with data upon which you can make a fiscally responsible decision and consider these other benefits of TAAP membership.
Accurate Materials: Ensure you receive the correct edition, digital codes, and complete materials as required by the professor.
Personalized Convenience: Enjoy a personalized website experience showcasing all your registered courses and the required course materials, ensuring easy access to your learning resources.
Seamless Integration: Benefit from an integrated system that seamlessly connects digital materials through Canvas, enhancing your ability to access and reference course content. Dedicated Support: Rely on our Learner Experience team, available year-round, 24/7 support during the back-to-school season to assist you whenever needed.
Simplified Learning: TAAP reduces complexities and confusion by streamlining access to course materials, helping you focus on your studies.
What TAAP is NOT:
Mandatory: Participation in TAAP is entirely optional. You are encouraged to review your Personalized Value Sheet sheet to weigh the financial aspect of TAAP. If the membership benefits do not benefit you as a student, you can TAAP out. *Note: you are automatically enrolled in TAAP each semester with the option to TAAP out through your portal.
Partnership Benefits:
- Students: Receive all course materials by the first day of class at an affordable price. No special action, knowledge, or at-hand funds are needed.
- Faculty: Complete academic freedom to select course materials (including OER). Access to an easy-to-use adoption tool. Start teaching class with all students prepared.
- Administrators: Better retention rates and more affordable cost of education. Access to adoption cost insights to recommend lower-cost materials.
- Campus Store: More accurately predict and source texts, taking on less risk. Buys and ships in bulk to lower the cost per unit. Benefits from aggregate purchasing and can leverage that to negotiate costs.
- Publishers: Predictable and guaranteed quantities based on bookstore ordering to cap. Earlier and fixed adoption deadlines provide longer lead time to print and supply.
TAAP Questions
TAAP Questions
For questions about TAAP, connect with the UCCS Campus Store.
TAAP in Two Steps:
Step 1
Faculty select the course materials they want to use and submit them through the TAAP portal.
Our TAAP partner at Akademos then sources materials in physical and digital formats.
Step 2
Once students are registered for the term, Akademos compiles the required materials for students.
Physical textbooks and materials will be available for pick-up at The UCCS Campus Store or delivered as requested.
Digital course materials are accessed through Canvas.
TAAP Partner
UCCS partners with Akademos, Inc. to deliver TAAP with the goal of ensuring all students have the materials they need at an affordable price. Akademos is an industry leader in online and hybrid bookstore solutions.
Through its integrated platform, students can visit their portal to review the required course materials they will receive along with where and how to access them.
Student FAQs
Explore commonly asked questions about TAAP at UCCS.
Yes. All students at UCCS are members of TAAP, including online students.
Students with Special Account Scholarships, such as VA/VOC, Kane, State VOC, TAA, etc., will receive further information on how TAAP works with their sponsor.
The only exception to this is Extended Studies courses. These courses will not be included in TAAP, and materials for these courses will not be automatically provided. Materials used for these courses will still be listed on the online bookstore website, and students can purchase these online outside of TAAP.
Per Federal financial aid (Title IV) regulations, students can voluntarily authorize the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) to pay for their current TAAP membership and other non-allowable charges with their Title IV (Federal) Financial Aid.
If students would like to grant this permission, they must sign into their portal, click on Student Financials, choose “Grant Title IV Permission,” then select the “FIN_AID” permission form and follow the prompts.
Students can log in to the TAAP portal to review their courses and required materials.
TAAP provides a mix of physical and digital texts, which often depends on the items that are selected by faculty and their availability. You can visit the TAAP website to verify what is being delivered closer to the start of the term.
If a digital-only text is assigned, students have the option to purchase a print accompaniment (if available) in addition to the digital text they will automatically receive as part of TAAP. If students wish to buy physical texts, you can select them within their portal and check out as you would on any other e-commerce website. Pay with credit, debit, PayPal, Google Pay, or ApplePay.
Accommodations due to a disability: If students have an accommodation for an alternate format book, please fill out the Alt Format Request form via Accommodate.
No, students will receive a confirmation email so they know what items they will receive.
Pick-up can be done at the UCCS Campus Store or delivered as requested. Students must go into their account and adjust the shipping address. Refer to the UCCS Campus Store website for hours of operation. Students will receive an email from the Campus Store when their books are available to pick up.
Students own the physical items, sellback options are available. Students may have time limits on how long they can access digital materials. They can review expiration dates in Canvas.
Convenience is the number one factor students cite when deciding whether to remain in course material memberships like TAAP. TAAP is not only extremely convenient but also provides additional benefits, including accurate materials and timely delivery. These benefits can then be used in conjunction with a financial review to evaluate whether to remain in TAAP overall. The Personalized Value Sheet (PVS) found within the portal is a comparison tool that can be used to start the financial review.
The PVS is to be used as a guideline. You should check retail pricing when evaluating the financial benefits of TAAP. The retail price used in the PVS is based on the available pricing at the time of comparison and might be the new print version, the digital version, or the list price.
The PVS is dynamic. As you add/drop courses, credit hours and required course materials are updated, in addition to your TAAP cost.
The financial proposition is one area to consider as students review their membership benefits.
View a sample image of the Personalized Value Sheet (PVS).
Yes. When TAAPing out, it is all or nothing. Students either TAAP out of the membership entirely or stay in for all courses. Student's personalized value sheets should be reviewed before membership decisions are made.
Conveniently, students who TAAP out of their membership can order some or all of their course materials from the portal with standard payment options (credit card, debit card, ApplePay, GooglePay, PayPal).
Please note that students will be responsible for obtaining their course materials independently if they decide to TAAP out. UCCS will not have required course materials for sale at the Campus Store*. Required and optional materials can be purchased individually on the portal.
*Lab coats, goggles, gloves, and other supplies will be available at the Campus Store.
If you choose to TAAP out or drop a class after receiving your shipment, you must return your course materials. Failure to return course materials will result in the current retail price for the unreturned item(s) being placed on your student account for payment.
Membership changes can take up to 48 hours before they are reflected on a student's account.
Pick-up can be done at the UCCS Campus Store or delivered as requested. Students must go into their account and adjust the shipping address. Refer to the UCCS Campus Store website for hours of operation. Students will receive an email from the Campus Store when their books are available to pick up.
Students own the physical items, sellback options are available. Students may have time limits on how long they can access digital materials. They can review expiration dates in Canvas.
Students may opt out using the link in their student portal, below their Course Materials.
Students who are ONLY enrolled in session B classes can opt-out up until session B census.
If at least one of your courses is preterm, your opt-in or opt-out deadline is the earlier preterm census date. If TAAP is not beneficial to you and you missed the preterm cutoff date, which is still before the main census date, e-mail the UCCS Campus Store (shop@uccs.edu) and request to be opted-out. No opt-outs will be granted after the main census date. You must arrange with the Campus Store to pay for any preterm course materials used.
To ensure student success, all students are enrolled in the TAAP membership. Students should review their personalized value sheet and membership benefits prior to making decisions. Students will be able to TAAP out if the membership does not work for them.
Students should evaluate their required materials after adding or dropping a class and reevaluate their financial equation.
When TAAPing out, it is all or nothing. Students either TAAP out of the program entirely or stay in the program for all courses.
If you choose to TAAP out or drop a class after receiving your shipment, you must return your course materials.
Materials are estimated to arrive the week before classes start. Please wait for the Campus Store to notify you that your order is ready.
If students purchased optional items or TAAPed-out but still purchased from the portal, they will need to refer to their confirmation email.
Course Material Procedure for Enrolled Courses: If you are successfully enrolled in a course from the waitlist, you will automatically receive the required course materials through the same process as students who initially enrolled in the class. There is no need to take any additional steps. Rest assured that the necessary materials will be made available to you promptly.
Purchasing Course Materials Outside of TAAP: If, for any reason, you choose not to remain in the Textbook Affordability Assistance Program (TAAP) or if you are not enrolled in a waitlisted course, you are welcome to purchase your course materials independently. You can do so through the Marketplace within the TAAP portal or other preferred methods.
Returning Physical Course Materials: If you drop a course you were waitlisted for or decide to opt out of TAAP, you will receive specific instructions on returning any physical course materials provided to you. Depending on the arrangements made, you will either receive a prepaid return label through email or be able to drop off the materials at the designated bookstore location on campus. Please ensure you follow the provided instructions carefully to facilitate the return process.
Required materials are sometimes rolled into the cost of tuition, giving the illusion they are free. At UCCS, we want to give our students choices; they can use this low-cost option if it makes sense or TAAP out if it does not.
TAAP allows you to exit your membership and purchase individual items within the portal or on the open market. Freedom of choice means you can look at the financials and make fact-based decisions on whether this course material cost-saving program works for you.
The UCCS Campus Store will have supplies, UCCS-branded merchandise, and other items for sale in-store and online.
UCCS Online Bookstore. Through that page students can use the dynamic help tool to answer their questions or they can call or email our Learner Experience team.
All TAAP items must be picked up on or before the deadlines listed. If the items are not picked up, the student relinquishes ownership and the items will be promptly returned to the distributor.
Fall: Last Friday in September
Spring: Last Friday in February
Summer: Last Friday in June
Faculty FAQs
The UCCS TAAP membership is an Equitable Access course material delivery initiative where students’ required course materials are provided to students automatically on or before the first day of class. This ensures that ALL students are given the same access to ALL materials they need to succeed in class. Our TAAP membership is administered by Akademos/Vital Source, a leader in online bookstore technology, who collects, sources, and delivers the materials.
Every student automatically receives their course materials – physical and/or digital – by the first day of class.
When students are provided with their materials on time and at an affordable cost, they can engage earlier, more often, and experience better learning outcomes resulting in successful program completion and graduation.
By leveraging economies of scale and capturing total sell-through, all parties recognize improved financial effectiveness. These advantages are evenly distributed for student benefits of costs, convenience, and timing.
All students at UCCS are included in this membership, including online.
The only exception to this is Extended Studies courses. These courses will not be included in TAAP, and materials for these courses will not be automatically provided. Materials used for these courses will still be listed on the online bookstore website, and students can purchase these online outside of TAAP.
Yes. Students can choose to TAAP out if they like. However, we strongly encourage everyone to review their personalized value sheet and the membership benefits. As faculty, it's essential to understand this membership covers all courses and cannot be evaluated on one class. To TAAP out, students visit the website and log in with their university account. From there, they will see an option to TAAP out.
Please note that students will be responsible for obtaining their course materials independently if they decide to TAAP out. UCCS will not have required course materials for sale at The UCCS Campus Store.
When TAAPing out, it is all or nothing. Students either TAAP out of the program entirely or stay in the program for all courses. Again, students need to consider all classes and all materials when deciding. For example, one faculty member may be using OER or low-cost materials and think it would be beneficial to TAAP out. However, what they may not know is the student may have $500 worth of books in other classes, making TAAP beneficial for them.
*Students who TAAP out of TAAP can order some or all course materials from the website with standard payment options (credit card, debit card, ApplePay, GooglePay, and PayPal).
Akademos sources both physical and digital texts in addition to certain non-textbook materials. The format often depends on the selected items and their availability.
Students must purchase the format separately on the online bookstore marketplace*. Students with disabilities should be referred to the Disability Services Office.
*Students should consider this when reviewing the TAAP financials
The TAAP membership is calculated on a $25 plus tax, flat amount per credit hour, regardless of how much each textbook costs. Akademos sells all materials to UCCS at cost with a service fee charge. This allows us to recommend lower-cost subscriptions and OERs as an option when adopting course materials, leading to greater cost savings for students.
Visit the online bookstore website and log in with your school account. Once logged in you will see all of the courses that you are assigned to teach or oversee. Use the search tool to type in an ISBN or title and then follow the steps to add details and submit it to Akademos. You can also message your Akademos Client Success Manager through the website if you have special textbook settings or requests. Visit the Help page on the left-hand navigation for videos and guides. You can review the UCCS Adoption portal training below. Passcode: W=6UN7En
You can also reach out to our onsite Faculty liaison, Jesse Gilbert
Adoptions are due 90 days before the start of each term. In order for Akademos to deliver all physical and digital materials to students on the first day of class, we need the support and participation of faculty and administrators to submit adoptions on time. Once submitted, Akademos reviews them to ensure that a) availability is established, b) the lowest cost formats are brought to bear, and c) any recommendations are made available to the adopter. If availability issues are anticipated, we may reach out and recommend similar titles, alternative formats (eBook vs. bundle or physical request), or suggest alternative materials such as OER, which covers the same content with lower price points.
All required course materials must be adopted, including OER. Additionally, if you are not using any course materials, that must be indicated in the portal as well.
To ensure compliance with state and federal laws pertaining to the Higher Education Opportunity Act and to ensure that course materials can be procured in time for the student to receive prior to the first day of class and at the lowest cost possible, you will receive courtesy emails from the UCCS Faculty Liaison informing you of the adoption due date and to remind you to place an adoption. You will continue to receive reminders until you place your adoption or indicate you are not adopting any course materials.
Akademos integrates with a school’s backend SIS and LMS to ensure that course and user data is transmitted regularly to our system so that users can view a personalized and up-to-date page. The adoption website, an administrative toolset, helps faculty and administrators submit adoption information with a wealth of options and useful information like costs, past adoptions, and department-wide adoption information.
Faculty have academic freedom and can select the materials they feel are best for their class, including traditional textbooks, OER materials, or other non-textbook items. Digital materials are often encouraged because they are more affordable, and students receive access immediately, which is beneficial if they add or drop courses. Only digital adoptions will be accepted after the adoption deadline due to on time arrival of materials.
Akademos’ website and Client Success Managers provide the tools, analysis, and information so that faculty and administrators have a clear picture of textbook costs and can review opportunities to lower costs term over term. For example, a text that was marked as “required” could be changed to “optional” if students did not end up utilizing it in class. Or changing from a more expensive bundled text to a more affordable ebook.
A note you will see if materials are out of print:
- This item is out of print from the publisher, and availability may be limited. Please consider selecting an alternate adoption.
A note for an old edition:
- There is a new edition available from the publisher. Quantity of the old edition may be limited; we recommend using the newer version.
If you have created materials that include selections of traditional texts, library resources, PowerPoint slides, etc., you can submit those through the website, and it will be provided as a coursepack.
If you are planning on using a textbook or course materials authored by you or an immediate family member, please remember you must update your Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure and complete the associated textbook management plan document.
Students can TAAP out if the TAAP benefits are not advantageous. Students can check their personalized value sheet in their portal. TAAP includes all courses in a term and is not offered on a course-by-course basis. OER is an important part of TAAP, and it is imperative that it is adopted.
If you are not using any course materials, it is equally imperative that you indicate this through the adoption portal under "Alternate Adoption Settings". This is so students are informed, as required by law. and Campus Store staff are able to help students as they come in with questions about your course materials.
*Please note extended studies are not included in TAAP and are the only exception.
We encourage faculty members to submit their adoptions early to avoid making last-minute changes due to the nature of the membership. If you have an unavoidable change, please immediately contact the Akademos Account Manager at uccs@vitalsource.com.
We recommend you use the verbiage below to insert it into your syllabus.
Required Materials: Course materials are available through TAAP (Textbook Affordability and Access Program). Log into your portal through uccs.textbookx.com; you can review your personal value sheet to see if TAAP benefits you. There is the option to TAAP out if the program does not fit your needs.
Required Course Materials for this course:
{Faculty to insert required materials.}
TAAP Materials Pick-up:
Course materials can be picked up at the Campus Store unless you opted for home delivery.
More information:
uccs.edu/TAAP
uccs.textbookx.com
Troubleshooting
Backordered items, TAAPing out, deadlines, returns, etc.
Email: shop@uccs.edu
Pick-up can be done at The UCCS Campus Store or students may opt for home delivery.
All digital course material access information will be emailed to students on or before the first day of class. Depending on the item, materials will be available through a student’s LMS account, a publisher website, or through VitalSource. If you need a reminder about what digital course materials you have access to, visit your Canvas account.
UCCS Online Bookstore. Through that page, students can use the dynamic help tool to answer their questions, or they can call or email our Learner Experience team uccs@vitalsource.com.
Please contact your Client Success Manager, through the TAAP website. Navigate to the help tab, where you can submit a ticket or review additional FAQs.
Contact your publisher representative or visit their faculty help pages. Your Client Success Manager may be able to help in some cases, but going to the publisher first is recommended.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) is a federal law requiring institutions to provide a term’s course book information to students in the course schedule or Campus Store portal before registration begins. The HEOA’s Textbook Information section aims to “identify ways to decrease the cost of college textbooks and supplemental materials for students while supporting the academic freedom of faculty members to select high-quality course materials for students.” The entire Act can be found here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-110publ315/pdf/PLAW-110publ315.pdf
To ensure compliance with the HEOA Act of 2008 and to provide students with access to affordable, high-quality textbooks and course materials, enter your course adoptions by the time registration opens to students. Faculty are required to adopt (post) their textbook and course materials on the Akademos web portal for each academic term in which they are assigned to teach. Even if your course does not require any materials, or if you use Open Educational Resources (OER) in your class, please log in and indicate this in the portal. When students log in to view their materials, they will see that these course materials are not required. The dates when textbook materials must be posted will be sent to faculty assigned to a course before starting the registration process for those terms.