ACCESS Instructor FAQ

Amber Bolen
Director of Student Success & District Instructional Content
Amber.Bolen@iavalley.edu
641-844-5715

We answer your most common questions here. If you have additional questions, please reach out to us at ACCESS@iavalley.edu.

What is ACCESS?

ACCESS, which stands for Affordable Course Content for Every Student's Success, is a program designed to ensure concurrent enrollment students receive all required course materials before classes begin. This eliminates the time-consuming process of individual textbook searches and typically results in a 30% savings on textbook costs, making concurrent enrollment more accessible and affordable for your students.

For concurrent enrollment students, the ACCESS program charges a flat fee of $22 per credit hour. This fee is consistent regardless of the individual cost of textbooks. If your school district chooses to opt-out and purchase materials independently, the cost will vary based on the required textbooks and materials selected by the college's faculty. If a school district elects to opt out of the program, they will be responsible for sourcing the course materials for the students taking concurrent enrollment classes. 

The ACCESS program ensures equitable access to academic resources, regardless of a student's chosen field of study, promoting equal opportunity for all concurrent enrollment participants.

No, all enrolled students are automatically opted into ACCESS.

Students with required physical textbooks will have their physical textbooks delivered to their current address they have on file with IVCCD. Digital content will be available for students in their Canvas shell three days before the semester starts.

No, students own the physical textbooks at the end of the term. For digital course materials, there may be a time limit on access. Expiration dates are typically listed within the Canvas account.

Please email ACCESS@iavalley.edu for more information on how IVCCD got rid of its current book inventory.

Yes, starting Fall 2025, IVCCD will send one invoice to School Districts with tuition, fees, student kit fees, and ACCESS charges.  

If a student recently added a course, their order may still be in transit. Please advise them to visit their ACCESS personalized webpage to track their delivery. If they need further assistance, they should contact the Learner Experience team by logging into your account and clicking "Help" at the top of the page. 

Students with approved accommodations for accessible materials should contact the college's Disability Services Provider. You can direct them to the appropriate contact information on the college's website.

Yes. The student and/or school is responsible for returning the physical textbooks to VitalSource. Unreturned textbooks will not allow for Opt-Out. Digital textbooks will be removed automatically when opting out or if a student drops a class.

To start a return: Visit the Online Bookstore, click "Returns" on the homepage, log in with your student account, and then select the item you want to return from the drop-down menu.

  • If your item can be returned, click the check box, "Select Items to Return." (If an item is not eligible for return, a check box will not be available to click.)
  • Use the drop-down menu to select the "Return Reason" (dropped course, wrong book sent, etc.).
  • Click "Generate a Printable Package Slip."
  • Print the package slip and then put it inside a shipping box along with your returnable item.
  • Use the “Shipping Label” that was emailed to the student.

Amber Bolen
Director of Student Success & District Instructional Content
Amber.Bolen@iavalley.edu
641-844-5715