• Home
  • -
  • Sponsored Students | University of Alberta Bookstore

Course Material Access Program: Information for Students and Sponsors

Beginning Fall 2026, undergraduate students will begin the term with access to their required digital and printed course material for a flat rate per term. This page outlines the important changes to textbook billing and how this impacts sponsored students and their sponsors.

Information for Sponsors

Default Process: Billing Through Tuition and Student Fee Assessment

By default, students are automatically enrolled in Course Material Access if any of their course material has an associated cost. Because your organization covers these essential academic resources, the flat fee will be included in the student's tuition and student fee assessment bill.

The program operates on a flat rate per term:

  • Fall and Winter: $259 per term
  • Spring and Summer: $139 per term

Action required: Please submit your sponsorship letters directly to Student Receivables, Billing and Collections to receive invoices for your students’ tuition and fees.

Program Exclusions and Alternatives

  • What is covered: Required textbooks, literature, online publisher courseware, most lab manuals, coursepacks and software applications.
  • What is excluded: Lab supplies, art and stationary supplies, chemistry lab manuals, uniforms or other non-text items.
  • Opt-out alternative: The Course Material Access fee is completely optional. If your internal policies do not allow you to cover a flat tuition fee, your student can choose to opt out to have the fee waived from their tuition account. The student must then purchase their textbooks out-of-pocket (from the Bookstore or elsewhere) and submit the receipts directly to your organization for reimbursement.

Information for Students

  • Automatic enrollment: You are automatically enrolled in the CMA program, and the flat fee ($259 for Fall/Winter; $139 for Spring/Summer) will be billed directly to your tuition account for your sponsor to pay. No action is required to receive your materials on day one.
  • Exclusions: The fee excludes items like lab supplies, uniforms, or art/stationery supplies. You must pay for any excluded items out-of-pocket at the Bookstore and request reimbursement from your sponsor.
  • Opting out: The fee is completely optional. If you choose to opt out via the Follett portal by the September 22 deadline, the fee will be waived from your tuition account. You will then need to purchase your textbooks out-of-pocket and submit the receipts directly to your sponsor for reimbursement.
  • No Bookstore direct-billing: The Bookstore will no longer bill your sponsor directly for any purchases that you make in-store.

Note: Please check with your sponsor regarding their specific reimbursement policies before purchasing items out-of-pocket.

Resources and Contact Information

For full program details, step-by-step setup instructions and online portal access, please visit the Course Material Access web page.