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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Indiana Commission for Higher Education today named ������Ƶ one of two recipients of the 2023 Stan Jones Student Success Award, which recognizes higher education institutions with promising student success practices. ������Ƶ was recognized for Ivy+ Textbooks, the College’s equitable access program to deliver low-cost, digital-first textbooks and courseware to students on or before the first day of class.

"������Ƶ is dedicated to providing students with an excellent education at an affordable price, and Ivy+ Textbooks is a prime example of how we’re innovating to respond to the needs of today’s students,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president, ������Ƶ. “When students have first-day access to high quality course materials at an affordable and predictable price, they’re able to focus their energy on what matters most: learning."

The average college textbook costs an estimated $105.37, according to the , and a 2019 national survey conducted by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund that two-thirds of students have skipped buying an assigned course material because of its cost. The Ivy+ Textbooks program allows eligible ������Ƶ students to purchase textbooks and course materials – more than two-thirds of which are delivered digitally – for a flat rate of $17 per credit hour. To date, the program has saved 135,000 students more than $36.4 million on their required materials.

The Ivy+ Textbooks program also contributes to student success. Since 2021 – the year that ������Ƶ implemented Ivy+ Textbooks – more students are earning more than 30 credit hours (a 2.32% increase) and are succeeding in courses at higher rates (up 1.82%). Hispanic, Pell-eligible, State aid-eligible, Asian and Black students are experiencing the highest gains due in part to having day-one access to required course materials.

“The success of Ivy+ Textbooks is possible because of ������Ƶ’s commitment to innovation, agility, and ensuring the program continuously evolves to reflect changes in higher education and the needs of students,” said Dom Chase, senior vice president and chief financial officer, ������Ƶ. “Through consistent evaluation, improvement, and listening to the needs of its students and communities, the College is dedicated to making sure Ivy+ Textbooks remains a leading example for other institutions considering this avenue for their own textbook initiatives.”

Ivy+ Textbooks is part of Ivy+, an ������Ƶ initiative to identify and scale best practices to drive innovation and student success while advancing the College’s three-year strategic plan, Higher Education at the Speed of Life.