NC State’s Course Ready program successfully launched in Spring 2025, marking a significant milestone in the university’s efforts to enhance the academic experience for NC State students.
This initiative sets a new standard for affordability, accessibility and convenience by delivering required course materials through a digital-first model to all undergraduate degree-seeking students, regardless of major. Reducing the financial burden often associated with course materials, particularly in certain fields of study, also supports greater budgeting predictability for students.
“As we assess Course Ready’s impact, it is clear that students are embracing the program’s convenience and affordability,” said Jeff Halliburton, senior director for auxiliary services in Campus Enterprises. “More than 16,000 NC State students have taken full advantage of the program’s ease of access and financial predictability in its first semester, with more than 15,000 students accessing their content through VitalSource, demonstrating its broad reach and high engagement rate.”
Despite its successes, the program faced challenges in its initial rollout. Some students and faculty members encountered difficulties with Moodle integration and link setup, particularly at the start of the semester. To address this, the Course Ready team is collaborating with our campus partners on updates for the upcoming terms, including enhancements to the Moodle integration and the introduction of single sign-on (SSO) access, which will make navigating digital course materials more seamless.
One of the program’s key strengths is its affordability. Starting in the summer term, the program will be offered at $74 (plus tax) per semester for each summer session. The flat per-semester rate for the 2024-2025 academic year will remain at $279 for both full-time and part-time students. This change simplifies the pricing structure and makes budgeting more predictable, while potentially lowering overall costs compared to traditional market prices.
“Looking ahead, the Course Ready team remains committed to enhancing the program by implementing technological updates and fostering better communication with faculty and students to ensure a successful launch each semester,” said Halliburton. “As the program continues to evolve, the team will seek further improvements while retaining the goal of making course materials more affordable and accessible for all students.”
For more information on the Course Ready program, visit go.ncsu.edu/course-ready.