Charger Book Pass

Charger Book Pass is a one-year pilot program with our Campus Bookstore to provide an easy, cost-effective, single-price option for reducing textbook costs for all Cypress College students. Once enrolled in any Cypress College course, you’re in the program! No additional

No student will pay more than $100 for all their required course materials (eBooks, textbooks, access code materials) at the start of each semester. Students will pay a flat fee of $100 or $21 per credit, whichever is less, for all their books and course materials and the books will be available to students two weeks prior to the start of class or within 48 hours of enrollment, whichever comes first. The Charger Book Pass will reduce textbook costs and ensure every student has access to their course materials on or before the first day of class.

If you’re registered for one or more classes at Cypress College, you automatically have the Charger Book Pass! There’s nothing else you need to do to get it.

You should receive emails from Brytewave, the platform in Canvas where your books can be accessed, letting you know when your eBooks are available. You will also receive an email from Follett, the company that runs the Campus Bookstore, with instructions for opting out of the program. For more information about opting out, please review the FAQ in the “Opt Out” section below.

Right now, Cypress College is doing a one-year pilot of the Charger Book Pass for the 2023-24 academic year.

As a college, we are subsidizing the cost of textbooks to create the $100 flat fee for our students. This academic year, we are going to evaluate the results, make sure students and faculty find value in the program, and seek funding to continue it into the future.

During this one-year pilot, the college will be off-setting the cost of the Charger Book Pass so it will be a flat fee of $100 or $21 per credit if you are taking 4.5 units or less.

Students who normally receive their course materials through a support program like EOPS should speak with program staff for more information.

For most students, that answer is yes! Students can save up to 80% based on savings at other schools. The program also reduces student stress during the purchasing process and provides a method to easily access, manage, and use all course materials regardless of format or cost.

During the first two weeks of the semester you will have access to all your course materials for free. This is your opportunity to determine if it makes sense for you to stay enrolled in the Charger Book Pass program. You may opt out of the program anytime until February 14, 2024.

If you decide the Charger Book Pass is right for you and do not opt out of the program, your student account will show the Charger Book Pass as a course fee on February 15. This amount is due immediately and may be paid at the cashier’s desk on the 1st floor of the Student Center or online in myGateway.

Some things to consider when deciding to use or opt out of the program are:

1. Do your courses provide zero-cost textbooks or require no course materials at all? Taking these types of courses already lowers the financial burden of course materials, which may mean it doesn’t make financial sense to pay for the Charger Book Pass.
2. How many courses are you taking? Students taking one or two courses may find that the Charger Book Pass makes less financial sense compared to students taking three or more courses.
3. Do your required course materials include access codes? Some textbooks have an online component that requires a digital access code to use. Access to these online learning platforms, like Cengage MindTap, McGraw-Hill Connect, and Pearson MyLab, are included as part of the Charger Book Pass. Access codes to these online learning platforms are generally only provided with new textbooks and can by pricey to purchase on their own.
4. Can you find used textbooks elsewhere? Paying the low cost of used, correct-edition textbooks for some courses may make more financial sense than paying for the Charger Book Pass.

Remember, the $100 maximum cost of the Charger Book Pass program will lower the cost of course materials for many students, but it’s important to consider your unique situation.

If a faculty member selects any required text, the Campus Bookstore will find the digital material and make it available to students automatically in each course’s Canvas shell.  If the book is only available in hard copy, it will be provided by the Bookstore for pick-up.

Required course materials are provided at the beginning of each term. The materials will be accessible on or before the first day of class. Please continue to check your Cypress College preferred email address (the email address you receive official college communications at) before the start of each term for notification of the arrival of your course materials

EBooks and access to online learning platforms like Cengage MindTap, McGraw-Hill Connect, and Pearson MyLab are available directly in Canvas. Please note that a course must be live in Canvas for students to access the required course materials.

If you are receiving hard copy course materials, you will receive an email from the Campus Bookstore when they are ready for pickup. They may also be shipped to you for an additional fee.

Depending on your classes and the course materials your instructor requires, you may receive a combination of: digital course materials, printed textbooks, printed lab manuals, or workbooks.

Print or digital format is determined based on the adopted material for the specific course prior to the start of class. As a student, if you have a preferred format (print or digital) for textbooks, you should first check with your instructor to see what format has been chosen for the course. If it is a digital version, you may contact the Campus Bookstore for available print options.

If you are a student with a qualified disability requiring hard copy course materials or other accommodations, please contact Disability Support Services (DSS) at (714) 484-7104 for more information.

Yes. For printed materials, students will receive an email (check your Cypress College preferred email address) when they are ready for pick-up. For an additional fee, students can choose to have materials shipped to their desired address.

Please contact the Campus Bookstore for details.

Printed materials are yours to keep at the end of each term. Digital materials can be accessed for a minimum of 180 days and may be available for longer period of time based on the material adopted and the publisher’s terms.

If you add a course, digital materials will be emailed to your Cypress College preferred email address or added directly into Canvas. For printed materials, you will receive an email when new print materials are ready for pick up at the Campus Bookstore. Please allow 24-48 hours after adding a new course to allow the information to transmit and a Bookstore team member to prepare required materials.

For courses dropped by February 14, 2024, your eBooks will no longer be accessible and you will not be charged unless enrolled in other courses. After February 14, you will be charged for the Charger Book Pass. Exceptions may be made by contacting Jeannie Tran. Printed materials must be returned to the Cypress College Bookstore.

If that course includes a printed material, that material is yours to keep. If that course includes digital material, the length of access is dependent on the specific material. Please contact the Campus Bookstore at (714) 484-7336 or email chargerbookpass@follett.com for details.

Only materials identified by your instructor as “required” are included in the Charger Book Pass program.

All “recommended” materials are available for purchase separately at the Campus Bookstore.

Yes. Students are automatically enrolled in the Charger Book Pass the day they register for one or more classes and will have full access to all their materials by the first day of their class through the end of the semester – unless they opt out. For each fall, spring, and summer semester, students may opt out between the start of the semester through the end of the add/drop without a “W” period.

For the spring semester, students wishing to opt out must do so by February 14, when the Charger Book Pass course fee will appear in your account.

Students who opt-out of the Charger Book Pass are responsible for finding and purchasing their required course materials on their own. All materials will be available at the Cypress College Bookstore where you can pick from different format and pricing options.

If a student is registered in 100% zero-cost textbook courses, the Campus Bookstore will exclude them from the program so they will not be charged.

If a student has any non-zero-cost textbook courses, they must choose to opt out of the Charger Book Pass. For example, a student may be enrolled in one course which uses a zero-cost textbook, but be enrolled in three other courses where books add up to $300. In that case, it wouldn’t make sense for the student to opt out because they would still only pay $100 in the program, saving money in the other courses they are taking.

All students are automatically included in the Charger Book Pass program; however, students may opt out of the program during specified opt-out periods. You will have the option to opt out at the start of each term. For spring 2024, you may opt out anytime until February 14. We strongly recommend students attend the first meeting of all their classes before deciding whether or not to opt out.

To opt out, you will need to access the Charger Book Pass Opt-Out Portal and create an account using your Cypress College preferred email address (the email address you receive college communications at). Please check your college preferred email address for information on how to log in to the Opt-Out portal and review the process and specific deadlines. The email will be sent from noreply@follett.com and you may need to check your spam or junk folder.

Watch the Charger Book Pass “How to Opt Out” video below for step-by-step instructions on how to opt out once in the portal.

For help or more information on how to opt out, please contact the Campus Bookstore at (714) 484-7336 or email chargerbookpass@follett.com.

All students are automatically included in Charger Book Pass; however, you may opt out of the program for the spring semester by February 14, 2024.

If you already opted out, you can opt back in until February 14. Please log back in to the Charger Book Pass Opt-Out Portal and choose “Opt-In.”

We regret to learn that the Charger Book Pass did not meet your expectations. To dispute the charges, kindly complete the appeals form below. Your case will be reviewed by the Appeals Committee, and a determination will be provided to you within 10 business days.

Please contact the Campus Bookstore at (714) 484-7336 or email chargerbookpass@follett.com.