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Course Materials for Faculty: How Students Pay

How Kresge Learning Support staff can help faculty members purchase and distribute course materials such as Harvard case studies, digital textbooks, and simulations.

What is the "Payment Model"?

When you submit course materials, you'll be asked to select a payment model: Course Fee or Student Pay.

  • Course Fee model: All materials' costs are added to students tuition as a course fee or lab fee
  • Student-Pay model: Students purchase all materials with a credit card.

The payment model you choose affects almost all aspects of the experience, including:

  • How much students pay for materials
  • How soon students can access materials 
  • How students get refunds
  • How auditors or other non-enrolled class visitors access the materials.

The table below will provide additional information that we hope will help you select a payment model. Please contact us at kresge_learn@umich.edu if you think of a way we can help.

Comparison of Payment Models

The information below will help you decide which payment model is right for you.

  Course Fee Payment Model Student-Pay Payment Model
Definition All costs are added to students' tuition. Students are prompted to purchase materials with a credit card.
Best for
  • Instructors who assign "participation-required" materials, such as simulations, eTextbooks, or other tools.
  • Instructors who can select all materials by the Course Fee deadline.
  • Instructors who assign only readings, such as articles and case studies.
  • New instructors, or those redesigning courses.
  • Instructors who would like additional time to select materials.
Refunds for Students Automatically refunded to the student's Wolverine Access Student Account after the student disenrolls from the class. Must be requested by emailing customerservice@study.net.
Deadline

Very early; set by the University of Michigan Registrar's Office to ensure students know tuition costs before registration.

Cannot be extended.

Slightly later; set by Kresge staff upon reviewing the Academic Calendar.

Can be extended upon request.

Simulations

Cost included in tuition fee.

Kresge schedules payment or pre-pays vendors, so students can access material immediately.

Price bundled into cost of Study.Net coursepack.

Instructors must ensure students purchase the Study.Net coursepack before assigning the simulation. This can be a time-consuming process.

eTextbooks

Price included in tuition fee.

Available at a 40% - 60% discount on publisher's "list price".

Cannot be included in course materials' pricing or set up by Kresge staff.

Instructor may contact publisher to negotiate discounts and set up on their own. 

Later Edits or Corrections Kresge staff cannot make changes after the instructor approves the course materials. Changes can be made until course materials are published.
Student Access Timeline Students receive access before class. Students do not receive access until they complete the credit-card purchase. If they wait, it is possible they will not have the materials in time for class. 
Auditor Access Email kresge_learn@umich.edu for access. Auditors (and others who have not officially enrolled) can easily purchase and access materials.
Financial Aid Can be covered by students' financial-aid packages. Usually are not included in financial-aid packages, and must be paid separately.

 

Additional Course Fee Information

What items can be covered by the fee?

Any material the Registrar considers an Allowable Item can be covered by a course fee.

Instructors who request Disallowed Items will be directed to the Registrar's Office for further assistance.

Is there a limit to the fee?

No. However, if the course fee will exceed $2000 per student, Kresge staff will ask a department or unit chair to review the costs. Instructors may be asked to choose a less expensive alternative or change the request to a program fee.

May I submit after the deadline?

Unfortunately, no. The Course Fee submission deadline is based on the University of Michigan Registrar's timeline for assessing tuition, so Kresge Library staff have no authority to grant extensions.

If instructors cannot submit requests by the course fee deadline, Kresge staff will process the materials using the Student-Pay payment model.

Can we refund students for one or two items if we decide not to use them later?

Unfortunately, no. An instructor's approval of the course fee materials is considered final, and the course fee is set based on the price of the approved materials.

Even if an item does not work (for example, if a simulation stops working due to a vendor's error), the University of Michigan Registrar's Office cannot provide refunds for that item.

We recommend instructors thoroughly test all tools (particularly simulations) before use, and select comparable materials as "backups". 

If an item is not used - and is not replaced with another item - students forfeit that portion of the course fee.

Wolverine Access Faculty Center