What to know before opting out of Niner Course Pack
This fall, students will be automatically enrolled in a textbook rental program called Niner Course Pack. This program offers textbooks and access codes billed to your student account at a rate of $20 per credit hour.
Three hundred dollars for a 15-credit hour course load may seem steep to shell out for textbooks, but there are a number of factors to consider before opting out of the program.
- Niner Course Pack is billed to your student account, making it easy to cover your materials with financial aid.
For students who receive financial aid, Niner Course Pack allows you to cover the cost of your materials with any excess financial aid after tuition and fees. You don’t have to apply for a separate program or jump through any hoops.
- You receive concierge service and access to your materials on or before the first day of class.
You don’t have to wait weeks for third-party sellers to ship your books to you or worry about getting the wrong version. You can have Barnes & Noble ship your books as soon as you verify your classes or you can pick them up from Barnes & Noble Charlotte in one package once they are bundled for you.
- Your course materials may not be cheaper elsewhere.
One textbook can easily retail for over $300 depending on the publisher. With Niner Course Pack you are guaranteed a flat rate of $20 per credit hour. If you opt out of the program, you will have to pay retail prices for all your books. The average retail cost of textbooks in past semesters has been around $500.
Still not convinced? Opting out is easy!
There may be situations where the Niner Course Pack rate exceeds the retail amount of your current textbooks for the semester. For example, maybe your classes are using cost-free Open Educational Resources or most don’t have textbooks or access codes at all.
In this case, it might be a good idea to opt out of the program.
From Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 to Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, you may opt out of the program in the Barnes & Noble portal.
If you want to research the retail cost of your books so you can make an informed decision, visit the bookstore’s course materials page and enter your class schedule in the drop-down menu. Be sure to select the semester labeled “OPT OUT” to see the prices.
You can add up the cost of purchasing your materials and compare to the $20 per credit hour rate.
If you change your mind, you have until Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, to opt back into the program.
We’re here to help! If you have any questions, you can reach out to Barnes & Noble Charlotte 704‑687‑7050 or sm276@bncollege.com.