Help a student plan for textbook access

Students may fall behind quickly when a required book is expensive, delayed, or unavailable in the format they can use. A student success coach can learn what the course requires, identify time sensitive choices, and connect the student with the offices that control materials, lending, or aid decisions.

Kay tells coach Will, "My biology access code costs more than I expected. The first assignment is due Friday. Can you get the school to cover it?" Will says, "Let us first identify what the instructor requires by Friday and which materials you already have. Is the code used for homework, the textbook, or both?" Kay says it unlocks graded homework. Will replies, "I cannot approve funding, but I can help you contact the course instructor and see whether the library or bookstore has a short term option. The student support office can explain any assistance programs and their eligibility." Kay asks whether she should wait. Will says, "Because the assignment has a deadline, I suggest we send the instructor a factual message today and contact the support office with the course information."

Will helps Kay write a short message that names the course, the required item, and the due date. He does not ask Kay to disclose more financial detail than a support program requests. The coach's value comes from organizing immediate action during a stressful first week.

Practice using a course syllabus as your starting point. Ask what item is required, when it is needed, and what the student has already tried. Create a two contact plan with the instructor and the appropriate support office. Review it for a clear deadline and a respectful description of the student's concern.