Equitable & Inclusive Access

First Day Complete® and First Day®, Barnes & Noble College’s equitable and inclusive access programs, remove barriers from higher education by improving access, affordability and convenience.

Our innovative approach to course materials ensures students have access to their materials before the first day of class, resulting in better student outcomes and savings up to 50%.

Two books are shown, one on economics titled as "Essentials of Economics" and another on Earth Science
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FIRST DAY® COMPLETE

With First Day Complete, BNC’s equitable access program, all students receive their required course materials, in both physical and digital formats, before the first day of class. Costs for those course materials are bundled as part of tuition or a course charge, typically saving students an average of 35-50%.

First Day Complete ensures complete academic freedom for faculty and is proven to positively impact student well-being and academic outcomes. Students are more prepared for class, and institutions see higher course completion rates across student populations.

See results

Students See The Value In First Day Complete

  • 83%

    agree First Day Complete better prepared them for the academic term

  • 80%

    say it had a positive impact on their success this term

  • 73%

    say it helped them achieve better grades this term

  • 88%

    are likely to recommend the program to another student

*Source: 2022 First Day Complete Student Success and 2022 Student Pulse Surveys

For institutions – FDC helps to drive recruitment and retention

74%

of students say it increases the likeliness they will stay at the same school

76%

of students felt their perception of their school would be somewhat or much more positive if offered FDC

16%

increase in course completion rates for participants in equitable access programs

*Source: Michael Moore.

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The Barnes & Noble College Advantage

  • The most comprehensive catalog of lowest priced print and digital course materials
  • Investment in technology and systems designed for equitable access
  • Customization and dedicated implementation teams

We are the leader in equitable access, serving more than 115 campuses nationwide, including more community colleges and 4-year institutions than any other bookstore provider.

Hear more from students, faculty and administrators on how First Day Complete has made a positive impact at their institution.

FIRST DAY®

First Day®, Barnes & Noble College’s inclusive access program, is an innovative course material solution that can be applied to individual courses – rather than all courses campus wide. First Day is suited for a college or university that wants to implement for a single course, or a specific department or program.

First Day provides students access to their required digital course materials by the first day of class, and, just like First Day Complete, offers significant cost savings to students.

COMPARE FIRST DAY TO FIRST DAY COMPLETE
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First Day® Complete vs First Day®


Instant Access to Digital Course Materials
Cost Reduction for Students
Students Have Materials Prior to First Day of Class
Physical Course Materials Included
Simplified and Highly Personalized Concierge Service
Marketable to Prospective and Current Students
Streamlined and Simplified Billing Process with One Flat Rate
Faculty Course Material Choice