First Day Access

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What is First Day Access?

First Day Access (FDA) is a collaboration between your instructor, STC Bookstore, and the publisher of your materials. This was created to provide you with the least expensive way to purchase your materials, combined with the convenience of charging the materials to your STC tuition and fees bill. First Day Access converts physical course materials into instantly accessible digital content. This format of course materials also drastically lowers the cost to the student! Because of the increased buy-in from students in a class offering First Day Access, publishers are willing to negotiate much lower prices than they are for print materials. First Day Access also ensures that the student has exactly what they need, in their hands, on the first day of class. No more waiting in line, or wondering if you have to take off of work to come in and get your books. Everything is ready for you right away for courses that require FDA.

Please read through the information below and browse through the questions listed below. This will give more specific information on what First Day Access is and how it may apply to you!

The Process

Before the semester has even started, your instructor chooses their course materials. All instructors have the option to have their course materials digitally added to First Day Access if it's available. Programs that have tools (Electricians, HVAC, Plumbing, etc.) are included in First Day Access automatically. The tools will be ready for you to pick up during Jumpstart (the week before classes start!) There are some programs that are physical only books. There are also courses that have supplemental physical books as well. These can be purchased through the bookstore website or purchased in-store. For the digital course materials that are added to First Day Access, students will access them through a link in MyTech. For more information on how to access FDA items, please refer to question two below. The charges for any FDA materials will be added to your tuition and fees bill through the Business office/Student Accounts. Students may opt out of any First Day Access materials before the end of the add/drop period (the first two weeks of class.) Students that opt out will no longer be charged for the materials and will no longer have access to them. If you choose this option, you will be responsible for getting the course materials on your own. STC highly recommends that you talk to your instructor before choosing this option.

• How do I pay for my FDA course materials?

  You will be charged for your FDA course materials through your tuition and fees bill. You do not need to come to the bookstore to charge any FDA materials to your account. These charges are automatic and will reflect on your STC account when you enroll in an FDA course. If you opt out of an FDA course material, you will be automatically refunded as well.

  Charges and refunds are charged through the Business Office, not the bookstore. Charges/refunds may not be immediate. Please wait until after the add/drop period before contacting the Business Office or Student Accounts about FDA charges on your tuition and fees bill.

• How do I access my materials?

  You will receive an email from the bookstore before the semester starts explaining what courses you have that are First Day Access. Sometimes there will be instructions in the email; otherwise, most FDA materials will be accessed through MyTech.

  • Instructions can differ by publisher, so you may have more than one set of instructions.
  • Instructions on how to access your course materials will come from your instructor. They will walk you through this process on the first day of class.

  For a step-by-step guide please go to the IT FDA Student View Page

• Who should I contact if I am having trouble with access to the online content?

  Always contact your instructor first. They are the ones who should have the step-by-step process on how to access your course materials.

  • If contacting the instructor does not work or if they cannot help you, please then contact the publisher. If you do not know who your publisher is, please contact the instructor.
  • If contacting the publisher does not work either, please then contact IT through their support and ticketing system or browse the knowledgebases that they have. The link to the IT support system is: IT FDA Support Database
• I'm a third-party scholarship student (Build Dakota, VA, etc.) — do they cover First Day Access charges?

  All third-party accounts will cover First Day Access charges.

  • Build Dakota and VA will always cover an FDA charge if it's required for the courses the student is taking.
  • VOC Rehab and WIOA will cover FDA costs. When the student is working with their case worker, please include the costs for any FDA courses on the authorization. VOC Rehab and WIOA may not cover the full charge and if this is the case then the student may have to pay the remaining amount for their course materials out of pocket.
  • DSS/ECH scholarship students currently will only experience an FDA product for their generals and BUS courses. The scholarship will cover the FDA charges for these courses.
  • AVERA/C2C students will always have their FDA charges covered.

  If you're a third-party student and you see a FDA charge on your account that needs to be paid. Please do not contact the Business Office, Student Accounts or the bookstore. Unless you were told otherwise, you do not have to pay this charge as it's covered through your third party.

• I'm a third-party scholarship student and I would like a physical book.

  Please read the bullet points below for more information on each of the third-party's responses to optional physical books:

  • Build Dakota— Build Dakota will cover an optional physical book if you're seeking one for an "eBook" required FDA course. Then you would need to opt out of the First Day Access materials for this course. Once opted out, please contact the bookstore at bookstore@southeasttech.edu and let us know that you would prefer a physical book. We'll then process the physical book and let you know when it's ready for pickup through an email to your student email. If your FDA item is "courseware"not an eBook, then please contact Kelli Rogotzke.
  • VA— The VA will cover an optional physical book if you're seeking one for an "eBook" required FDA course. Then you would need to opt out of the First Day Access materials for this course. Once opted out, please contact the bookstore at bookstore@southeasttech.edu and let us know that you would prefer a physical book. We'll then process the physical book and let you know when it's ready for pickup through an email to your student email. If your FDA item is "courseware"not an eBook, then please contact Martin Valdez.
  • WIOA—If you need or want a physical book (regardless if it's an eBook only or courseware) this will need to be discussed with your case worker. If WIOA will cover the cost of the physical book, then it needs to be included as a separate line item on your authorization. For more information, please contact your personal case worker or email Ashley Vis.
  • VOC Rehab—If you need or want a physical book (regardless if it's an eBook only or courseware) this will need to be discussed with your case worker. If VOC Rehab will cover the cost of the physical book then it needs to be included as a separate line item on your authorization. For more information, please contact your personal case worker or email The Bookstore.
  • AVERA/C2C—Either of these two programs may allow a physical book to be charged to the respective accounts. For more information, please contact Anna Fischer.
• What if I don't want to purchase my materials this way?

  STC strongly suggests going to class before considering this option.

  If you do not want to purchase your materials this way you may opt out of the course. You have until the end of the first two weeks of class every semester to choose to do so.

  • If you choose to opt out of a First Day Access course material, then the charge on your account will be dropped automatically. It may take a couple of days to do so but the charge will eventually be dropped. Please wait until after the first two weeks of class are over before contacting the Business Office or Student Accounts about the charges.
  • Dropping out of First Day Access means that you (the student) will be responsible for finding the course materials on your own. The materials that the bookstore lists on the website are what is required by your instructor. There is no guarantee of getting the correct course materials if you get them on your own.
  • You will not be able to opt out after the first two weeks of class. If you have forgotten to opt out and the period is over, then the purchase of FDA materials is final.
  • Please keep in mind that First Day Access is the most cost-effective way to get your course materials.
  • If you need more instruction on how to opt out of a First Day Access course material, please refer to the Student View It Knowledgebase.
• What if I don't want to purchase my tools through First Day Access?

  Before you choose to get your tools somewhere else, you have to contact your instructor first.

  • The STC Bookstore has worked with all instructors across campus regarding your tools. We've determined that the First Day Access platform is the best way to get the tools that you need in your hands by the first day of class.
  • If you're provided a full tool kit through your employer, you do have the option to opt out. There is a strict return policy that must be followed to do so. Please read the following steps below if you're considering this.

  1. You must contact your instructor letting them know that you are able to get a full tool set.
  2. The instructor then needs to verify that you have the exact tools that are required for class.
  3. Once the tools have been verified then we need you to fill out the bottom part of the form provided on your Jumpstart day. If you do not go to Jumpstart and need to fill out this form, please contact the bookstore.
  4. Once the form has been filled out the bookstore then needs to verify that all tools are still in the kit and still in their original packaging. Or that you did not pick your kit up in the first place.
  5. Lastly, after all steps in this process have been completed, the bookstore will opt the student out of their FDA tools. The charge will be removed from their tuition and fees bill. Please do not contact the Business Office or Student Accounts about this charge being removed until after the first two weeks of the semester.

  All steps above to opt out of the kit must be completed before the end of the add/drop period (the first two weeks of every semester). If you have any questions, please email the bookstore.

• I opted out by mistake and realized that I still need my access. Can I opt back in?

  You may opt back in or opt out as many times as you want throughout the first two weeks of the semester. Once the add/drop period is over, you will be unable to opt back in.

• I forgot to opt out and missed the deadline.

  If you did not opt out by the deadline then your First Day Access transaction is final. The deadline is the last day of the add/drop period which lasts for the first two weeks of every semester.

• I dropped the course; do I still need to opt out?

  Students who drop out of an FDA course will be automatically opted out of that course material. The charge for the material will be taken off of the STC student's tuition and fees bill automatically. If your charge has not fallen off right away, please wait until after the add/drop period before contacting the Business Office or Student Accounts.

• What if I want a physical book?

  Some, not all, course materials will have an optional physical book listed. These books are at a discounted price and are supplemental to the FDA course materials. This means that it will be an additional charge to the First Day Access materials that you are already opted into.

  • If your FDA course is an "eBook only" course, then you may opt out of the digital FDA and instead purchase the physical book from the Bookstore. If you don't opt out of the eBook, then you will be purchasing two different types of the same book.
    • eBook only means that there is not courseware included with your First Day Access course. Courseware may include Cengage MindTap codes, McGraw Hill Connect codes, any Hawkes products, and more.
  • If a First Day Access course has courseware (MindTap, Connect, Hawkes, etc.) then you still need the FDA course material and may buy the physical book to supplement your education.
• Do I need to opt out of my Cengage First Day Access products if I have CU?

  To put it simply, yes.

  For more information, please see the same question on our Cengage Unlimited Page

Publisher Support

Cengage

McGraw Hill

Pearson

VitalSource