These FAQ’s are developed with the support of additional staff and faculty who have had important questions regarding the release of Panther Ready. Our goal is to facilitate as many questions as possible for a successful implementation of Panther Ready. For assistance, please reference the Panther Ready Training Guide and video, or email the bookstore.
BNC does not offer an option of separating certain groups (individualized). We can only segment major groups; therefore, we are launching Spring 2026 to Online, ABA Online, and Graduate Students as our soft launch.
Students should evaluate their needs each semester, as they may already have all their books. Hence, they can opt out to avoid charges to their account. If they are new to Panther Ready, they should remain opted in this semester and choose to and evaluate their need to opt out next semester. Students must opt out within 10 days after the semester begins.
At semester’s end, students receive an email with textbook return instructions and buyback info. Rentals can be returned in person or via a $5 UPS shipping label (per package for multiple books), which is explained in the email. While full purchase prices may not be shown upfront, rental costs are included in return reminders. The Panther Ready selection email highlights savings compared to buying materials individually. No pricing information is shared in the Panther Ready portal. To compare item to item pricing, students should visit the bookstore website where they can see all available format and pricing options, similar to what they see today on the online bookstore website. Examples from both websites are below for comparison.
Immediately after the student has accepted their materials through Panther Ready, they can view their account and easily identify which books they have rented, the buyout price for each of those materials should they choose to keep their rented textbooks and the applicable replacement and processing fees due if materials are not returned at the end of the semester. In Panther Ready, all course material costs are included for the $27 per credit hour charge, there are no individual rental prices. Students who choose not to remain in Panther Ready and opt-out or those who are simply evaluating the value of the Panther Ready program are encouraged to use the bookstore website to view their purchase and rental options available to them outside of the program. On the bookstore website (fit.bncollege.com) a special term, labeled "opt-out" will be available 35 to 40 days prior to the first day of class with all required and recommended course materials as adopted by faculty listed and all format and pricing options (new, used, digital, rental, purchase) available.
As is current practice, Adoption practices remain exactly the same. Just mark it as no textbook required. Your course will be visible in the adoption portal and for any class not needing a book post: No Textbook Needed.
Students will see all the course material for the classes they are enrolled. They do not have the option of choosing only one. If students already have most of their books, as they may be continuing students into their program studies, they can opt out since they may already have their course materials. If they have almost everything except one book or two, and it’s cheaper for them to purchase it on their own than to enroll into Panther Ready, they can choose to opt out. Students can choose to purchase their books at the end of the course.
All course materials provided through Panther Ready will also be available from the bookstore website or in-store. Outside of Panther Ready, students can choose to purchase or rent materials by title. In the Panther Ready, the vast majority of physical materials will be issued as a rental and due back to the bookstore at the end of the semester. Students can choose to opt-out of the Panther Ready and purchase their books at the beginning of the term or if they remain in Panther Ready and later decide they would like to keep their materials can elect to purchase their rentals. The purchase price will be the fair market value for used books.
If the student remains opted in, they will have all their books and they will be charged $27 per credit hour.
The student has the option to purchase the book (as noted above in the comments), or they must return the book each semester. If the student is not local, they would need to consider this decision when choosing to opt out of Panther Ready. If the materials are digital, this additional cost would not apply.
Shipping policies for Panther Ready are identical to the current on campus bookstore shipping terms and rates. All outgoing orders can be shipped directly to a student for a flat rate, currently $8.99. At the end of the term, students needing to return rental materials can print a return shipping label, allowing them to ship one package back to the bookstore for $5 (a package of one or several books).
The student can choose to purchase at the end of the semester, see previous answers to questions. The bookstore is in the book business, they are ready to support Panther Ready and work with our students.
The ability to opt-out of Panther Ready each semester is provided to any student who does not want to participate in Panther Ready. To opt-out, students will visit the Panther Ready link found on the home page, also within the student FAQ’s and follow the provided link to opt-out of Panther Ready. Students who opt-out will have the fee removed from their student account and may purchase their course materials at full retail price from the bookstore website or another source.
The bookstore will have all the information. See contact details below. The Panther Ready web page has contact information and FAQ’s.
We will be provided with a card with contact information for students. All textbook questions can be redirected to the textbook team.
Yes, professors for each individual course will have the option of Modality. They do not have to choose all physical, or all electronic books for all courses, they can interchange depending on the need of the course. However, they cannot choose both modalities for a book/material for one individual course it must be one or the other. To maintain the most favorable pricing materials, one modality must be provided in one format.
Students who remain in Panther Ready will receive materials in only one format, either print or digital. The format provided is based on faculty submission at the time the materials are adopted.
Courses lists need to go to the Registrar to be confirmed and scheduled, where it will be upload to Banner. The bookstore will pull course data from Banner to display in your AIP adoptions portal for review. There is no need to notify the student about Panther Ready, each individual student will get a notification from the bookstore, and also welcome emails regarding Panther Ready.
We will get the list of students from our Registrar Team who will tell us who is in the class by a coding (Y/N) on an import SIS file, on whether they are enrolled in the course. The student will get a link to review their course materials via the bookstore notifications, and if they do not want to remain opted in they can choose to opt out in a link within the email.
You will be able to adopt for all sections by confirming that choice after entering the adoption in an initial section. See the Adoptions Insight Portal Training Guide for Reference.
Additionally, you will be able to upload a spreadsheet with adoptions if that is your preference. Once in AIP, the file template can be downloaded.
Currently, there is no way to differentiate. The Registrar will be providing a list to the Bookstore on which classes are online. Primarily so she can confirm with each department that the adoptions are submitted. Next Fall 2026 when we deploy to the entire campus, we hope to have more streamlined processes.
Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), educational institutions must protect personally identifiable information (PII) and cannot disclose it without written consent—except under specific exceptions. These exceptions allow data sharing for operational purposes, such as textbook distribution, but only under strict conditions. The bookstore has a confidentiality agreement with Florida Tech as an approved vendor. You are currently sharing student information today.
During the add/drop period, students are refunded for dropped courses and charged for added ones. Book charges follow suit—students return unneeded books and receive new materials for added classes. Digital materials are available as soon as registration updates; physical books are shipped within 24 hours. Graduate students may pick up books in-store if needed quickly; online students may experience a short delay.
Students who have not opted out of Panther Ready automatically receive required course materials as part of the $27 per credit hour charge on their student account. They are not billed directly by the bookstore. As students adjust their schedules, the bookstore manages returns and reissues, while the university updates the Panther Ready charges accordingly.
Students who add a course with physical materials will receive a notification (email) from the bookstore asking that they re-visit their portal and choose how they would like to receive their materials, in-store pickup or shipping.
Yes, financial aid will be applied to the student's account and will cover all charges, including the cost of textbooks. The students will not get to exclude the cost of textbooks, since these charges are part of the overall bill. The financial aid money is disbursed to the account and automatically applied to all outstanding charges.
Yes, all materials will show on the students' Panther Ready portal. All required materials are included in the Panther Ready program. Recommended or Supplemental materials are not included in the Panther Ready program but can be purchased separately by the student. However, if the faculty wants to make those “Required” to ensure the material is utilized in class, this would be the time to mark it as such. Since its not an additional charge to the student it's all within the $27/credit hour if they remain opted in.
The adoptions and insights portal (AIP) provides both the required and recommended option for any material adopted, textbook, courseware, access to a digital product, or a school supply item (lab notebook, calculator, etc.). Supplies must be purchased separately at the bookstore webpage or in person.
They are paying the rental fee of $27 per credit hour and the cost of the book. Regardless of how many books they are getting or not getting, if they remain opted in.
Yes. Students are charged the Panther Ready fee (e.g., $27 per credit hour) for all enrolled credit hours, regardless of whether a specific class requires a textbook. This flat-rate model helps streamline billing and ensures students receive materials automatically for any course that does require them. Courses with no required materials will still be listed, typically with a note stating “No Textbook Required,” but the fee applies across all registered credits unless the student opts out of the program.
This Fall 2025 and Spring/Summer 2026 students will receive several Panther Ready announcements. After Florida Tech releases our Communication Release, the bookstore will release additional emails. All students are notified 30-35 days after registration, then 14 days, thereafter every other day for 7 days until they decide to remain opted in. They will also receive added notifications if they add or drop classes.
Students will begin receiving informational emails about Panther Ready approximately 30–35 days before the first day of class. These emails include instructions for selecting textbook delivery options (e.g., shipping or in-store pickup). While students are automatically enrolled upon registration, they can only begin ordering materials once their enrollment is processed and the bookstore prepares their order. Students approved closer to the semester start will still receive these emails in time to select and receive their materials before classes begin.
Yes, students should return their book as early as the last day of finals. The bookstore does provide up to 5 days to return books after the last day of finals. Students who receive an incomplete are required to return their printed rental materials by the designated due date. If they wish to keep the book, they may choose to purchase it at fair market value. In some cases where a digital book is provided for the course, the publisher may have extended due dates. If you have a unique circumstance, reach out to the bookstore for assistance.
The Professor should email the Office of Disability to receive accommodations for the student. Those may include alternative formats (e.g., digital, audio, large print), extended access to materials, or adjusted delivery methods based on individual needs. The Office of Disability will contact the bookstore, and work with the bookstore staff for these requests. For any financial exceptions, please reach out to the office of Financial Services for support.
Digital rentals follow the standard rental timeline. In some cases, students may continue to have limited access to the digital material after the semester ends, depending on the publisher’s license and access policies.
Yes, Harvard Business and Simulations will be included in the Panther Ready program.