The days of students opting out of buying textbooks or scrambling to find free copies online to avoid high costs could soon be over at Loyola University Maryland. The school’s administration has decided that starting in the Fall of 2026, textbooks will be included in every student’s tuition and financial aid packages.
The university will be adopting the Barnes & Noble’s First Day Complete Program. University officials said all students, regardless of their major, will benefit from this program which will include textbooks and even specialized materials like art supplies.
Through the adoption of this program, students will have access to all required course materials by the first day of classes. This could help reduce the financial strain associated with purchasing textbooks and ensure no student falls behind because they don’t have the money to afford them.
According to a report from the Loyola Conference, an Ad HOC Committee of faculty members first met in March 2024 to explore this issue. They researched equitable access programs at other institutions, reviewed data on rising textbook prices, and consulted Loyola’s academic departments to gather faculty input.
Loyola’s governance coordinator Joshua Gembicki explained that the Loyola Conference is the governing body at Loyola responsible for university-wide issues such as strategic planning, resource allocation, and administrative policy.
“The Conference membership includes administrators, full-time faculty representatives, staff, and students. They monitor the progress of the university towards its mission to approve university-wide budgets, policies and programs with the objective of improving the effectiveness of the university,” Gembicki said.
Michael Mansfield, vice president for Auxiliary Operations and a member of the Ad HOC Committee, served as the liaison between faculty and bookstore staff throughout the planning process. He collaborated with bookstore management to present the First Day Complete Program and addressed questions or concerns raised by faculty.
With the average cost of buying books in college increasing every year, students may be wondering if this is going to increase their tuition by roughly the same amount. But Mansfield said that is not necessarily the case. He said the University will pay Barnes and Noble the cost of running the First Day book program, and those additional charges will go into the operating budget.
“There is not going to be any additional charges to any student. We are going to raise the money to pay for this program through our normal collection of tuition dollars, which are factored through financial aid,” Mansfield said.
Mansfield said tuition is based on a variety of factors within the operating budget. Currently, tuition already covers access to services like the Fitness & Aquatics Center, laundry facilities, and other campus resources. With this change, textbooks will simply be added to that list — included as part of tuition which funds the institution’s operating costs.
“The university will pay Barnes & Noble the cost of running the First Day Program. In return, Barnes & Noble will provide books for every student,” Mansfield said.
Mansfield also wants to make it clear to students that President Sawyer is aware of the program and has approved it.
The Committee’s Chair Elizabeth Dahl explained that the fee the school will pay is going to be determined by Barnes & Noble based on textbook usage across the university, and the materials selected by faculty.
“The problem we are trying to solve is that some students are not able to afford their textbooks, so they are not getting them until the middle of the semester or are sharing with other classmates. This program is about making sure everyone will have access to the materials they need for classes,” Dahl said.
Vice President for Student Development, Deborah Cady Melzer, oversees the Student Success Emergency Fund and served on the ad hoc committee. She explained that by incorporating textbook costs into tuition, the university ensures those expenses are considered when students receive their financial aid packages. She also said the advantage is then don’t have to worry about paying for their textbooks at the beginning of every semester.
“What I really like about the First Day Complete Program is that students will have everything they need by the first day. Believe it or not, whenever finals come around, we still get requests for help with textbooks and instructional supplies,” Cady Melzer said.
Loyola students with financial need currently have access to the Student Success Emergency Fund, which is supported by generous alumni donations, grants, and university funds. Approved requests for aid from the Emergency Fund vary, but often include expenses like meal plans, rent, and textbooks. However, with textbook prices rising faster than tuition, healthcare, and housing—according to the “Trends in Textbook Prices” presentation by Billur Cohen—the fund is not large enough to support all student requests. Therefore, the committee decided that Loyola needs an equitable program that doesn’t require students to advocate for themselves.
Cady Melzer went on to mention that many students often think that they can just borrow from the library or share with a friend. However, at the end of the semester, they realize they need the textbook to study for finals.
“I think that’s a shame. We need to be able to give students an opportunity to be successful by making sure they have everything they need,” Cady Melzer said.
According to Dahl, the Student Government Association was asked for feedback on the program and responded positively, appreciating the idea of their textbooks already being included in tuition.
Seipiri Saka ‘27, a marketing major, said textbook costs are a burden.
“I think this program is really good for students. I know I spent around $500 to $600 on textbooks this semester, so it’ll be nice for the costs to be included in the tuition,” Saka said.
Ava DeLeo ‘26 , a double major in psychology and music with a minor in French, will have already graduated when the program comes into place. She thinks this is a good idea, moving forward, as long as it doesn’t impact tuition.
“I think it would have definitely been helpful for textbook costs to have been included in my tuition since textbooks can be so expensive. I know a lot of students can’t afford them and depend on the ones in the library, which can cause them to fall behind,” DeLeo said.
