As the Friday deadline approaches to opt out of the new Digital Course Materials program provided by USC for the 2025-2026 school year, some students have raised concerns about the service’s automatic charges.
The Digital Course Materials program is a resource that undergraduate students currently enrolled in classes are automatically opted in to, unless they have no required course materials. A partnership between the University and retail company Follett, the program was announced on March 11, and students were notified twice throughout the summer via email with instructions on how to opt out.
Despite this, some students still feel uninformed. As of September 10, only 16.82% of students opted out of the program, according to Leann Fowler, Follett’s Chief Marketing Officer.
“We recognize that technical and procedural issues have caused frustration for some students,” said Fowler in a statement to Annenberg Media. “We are actively working in collaboration with the university to address these concerns and improve the student experience.”
Ella Dunn, a third-year student majoring in Journalism, expressed mixed feelings. “I think that it is a great idea. I just think that having it be an opt-out process instead of an opt-in makes me like it less.”
As a transfer student, the unfamiliarity of the service deterred Dunn from making use of the materials. “I’d just rather go the way I know how, because this library system is the same as my old [school’s] library system … I’m just trying to do what I know.”
According to the University’s announcement, the program was claimed to save the “average student” 60% on course material costs with a flat rate of $292 per semester. However, Dunn recalls spending no more than $250 a semester on course materials.
Other students found the service beneficial yet recognized how it could cause confusion. Anahi Garcia, a first-year Psychology major, said the program saved her money on her six required textbooks for the semester. But for others in her class who wished to opt out, the process was complicated.
“We had a whole 10-minute review [in class] on how to opt out, because a lot of students were trying to do that … it was kind of like having to click through multiple things to get there,” Garcia said.
Resources for receiving technical support have also been reported to be unreliable. “Students who encounter difficulty with the digital opt-out process are encouraged to contact [Follett’s] team directly for support,” said Fowler, who provided several resources for students to access for help. These included the USC Academic Resource Center’s phone number. However, when Annenberg Media called on Wednesday, the phone line led to an automated message stating that no one is available to take calls.
The deadline to opt out of the program approaches Friday. With over 80% of students still opted in, Fowler has assured that “[Follett’s] store team is closely tracking all requests and working directly with campus administration to ensure every opt-out and associated refund is processed and reflected on student accounts as quickly as possible.”