Yes, for certain materials. Many of the digital textbooks in Bookshelf may be downloaded to a device and read after the term is over by using the Bookshelf app. Digital textbooks that are a part of a homework manager or courseware are only usable for the quarter during which they were originally provided; unless otherwise noted, access to these materials expires once the term is over.

You may also keep any physical textbooks you receive under Equitable Access so long as you stay enrolled in the program and the course. If you opt out of Equitable Access or drop the course, you’ll need to return the books.

There are several ways to opt out of Equitable Access if you choose:

1. From your MyBill Student Account page using the link on the left side of the screen in the “Announcements” section. This will open your personal Equitable Access materials page*. This link is also included in the Welcome email from the Equitable Access Team. *Note: The Equitable Access Materials page link is only accessible to participating students and will not work for non-students.
2. From your Equitable Access Bookshelf—accessible from the navigation menu of any of your course pages in Canvas.
3. By emailing the Equitable Access Support Team at [email protected]. Please use your @ucdavis.edu email address, include your student ID in the body of the message, and the words “opt out” in the subject line.

From the time you get your quarterly bill until the day it's due, you can opt yourself out of Equitable Access using the link on the left side of the screen in the “Announcements” section on your MyBill student accounting page. Doing so by this deadline will add a credit to your student account before it is due. If you miss this date (the day your bill is due), you can still opt yourself out of Equitable Access using the link on the left side of the screen in the “Announcements” section on your MyBill student accounting page up until the Sunday before classes start. In this instance, you are required to pay the Equitable Access fee but will receive a $169 credit ($199 for GSM) in your student account (called BKST Equitable Access Wavier) within two to five business days. As per Student Accounting’s policy, any credit on your account will be dispersed at the end of the month.

If you would like to opt out of Equitable Access after classes begin, you can still do so until the 20th day of instruction. You will need to email [email protected] and request to opt out. If you’re on campus, you can go to the main campus bookstore and request to opt out at the guest services counter or the text floor help desk. In this instance, you are required to pay the Equitable Access fee but will receive a $169 credit ($199 for GSM) in your student account (called BKST Equitable Access Wavier) within two to five business days. As per Student Accounting’s policy, any credit on your account will be dispersed at the end of the month.

Yes. Prior to the Sunday before class starts, you can opt back into Equitable Access using the link provided in the email you received when you opted out. Once you are in your student textbook portal, simply click the button to opt back in. If you’d like to opt back in after that date, you can either email [email protected] and request to opt back in or visit the main campus store and opt back in at the guest services desk or text floor help desk. Your student MyBill account will be charged $169 ($199 for GSM).

The financial model for Equitable Access is similar to the UC Davis Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP), where all participating students pay the same rate for coverage, regardless of individual medical needs and costs. Unitrans uses a similar model, whereby all students pay the same fee, no matter how many times each student rides the bus. With Equitable Access, all students pay the same rate ($169 for undergraduates and $199 for GSM), regardless of individual textbook costs. Surplus funds from students whose textbooks cost less are used to cover students whose textbooks exceed the cost of the program. This helps create equity and ensure textbook access for all students.

As a non-profit department within the Division of Student Affairs, UC Davis Stores directs surplus funds back into the Equitable Access program in two ways: by lowering the price of the program and/or awarding full textbook grants to the lowest-income UC Davis students. In 2021-22, we were able to lower the program rate for undergraduates from $199 to $169 and award 3,000 grants totaling $507,000. Feedback from the Equitable Access Student Advisory Council showed support for continuing to use surplus funds for textbook grants for low-income students. In the 2022-23 academic year, we provided over 4,000 grants totaling $700,000. In the 2023-24 academic year, we provided over 7,500 grants totaling $1,267,500 to students in need.