Tigers SmartStart
Be ready with Tigers SmartStart!
ACCESS | CONVENIENCE | AFFORDABILITY
The Program
Ever wish for an easier, more affordable way to gather your course materials at the start of the semester? The UofM's Tigers SmartStart program gives undergraduate students access to all required textbooks, lab manuals, access codes, and electronic book versions in a convenient bundle before the first day of class—in most cases, at discounted prices.
Through a partnership with Barnes & Noble College, Tigers SmartStart allows undergraduate students to receive required course materials for all classes for a flat fee of $24 per credit hour, regardless of how much each individual textbook or digital access would cost to rent or purchase separately.
Instead of purchasing materials a la carte, the rental cost is applied to the student’s account at the time of registration. The UofM bookstore provides each student with a convenient package for physical books, and digital materials are automatically populated to students’ courses in Canvas.
Reduce the cost of traditional textbooks by up to 50% with Tigers SmartStart!
During the first semester of Tigers SmartStart, over 8,500 undergraduate students participated in the program! The average cost of all required course materials for those enrolled in Tigers SmartStart was $280!
| Register for Classes | Verify Your Order | Receive Your Textbooks |
|---|---|---|
| Upon registering for courses, students will be automatically enrolled in the program. Once you've successfully selected your courses, the bookstore will start preparing your order. | No later than 30 days before the first day of classes, you will receive an e-mail to verify your order and select your fulfillment preference. | An e-mail notification will be sent when your order is ready for pickup or when it ships. Your digital materials will be delivered for your course(s) in Canvas. |
Opt-Out Dates for Summer 2025
Summer sessions are typically very condensed. The opt-out deadlines for Tigers SmartStart are also condensed. Please reference the table below for a listing of the Summer 2025 windows. There will be a button to opt-out at the top of this page during the time frames outlined below.
|
Summer 25 Selection Email |
Monday, April 28, 2025 |
|
Pre-Summer, Full Summer, and 1st Summer Session Opt Out* |
April 28 - June 11, 2025 |
|
Second Summer Session & Late Enrollment Opt Out** |
June 12 - July 9, 2025 |
*Opting out for Pre-Summer/Full Session/First Session will automatically opt you out for Second Summer Session.
**Students registered ONLY for Second Summer Session are able to opt-out of Second Summer. If a student opted out of Pre/Full/First Summer Session, they will also be opted out for Second Summer Session. Similarly, if a student did not opt-out for Pre/Full/First Summer Session, they cannot opt-out for Second Summer Session.
Students who enroll after June 11, 2025 can also opt out using the link available during the June 12-July 9 window.
Students using the opt out link from June 12-July 9, 2025 will see the updates reflected weekly.
Upcoming Dates:
Fall 2025
|
Fall 2025 Selection Email |
Monday, July 28, 2025 |
|
Fall 2025 Opt Out |
Monday, August 4, 2025 - Friday, September 5, 2025 |
Spring 2026
|
Spring 2026 Selection Email |
Monday, December 29, 2025 |
|
Spring 2026 Opt Out |
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 - Friday, January 30, 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Details
This program, for UofM undergraduate students, is an institution-wide response to the increasing number of students who lack access to required course material due to cost. This program makes getting textbooks easier for students, which will ultimately improve their success at UofM. Tigers SmartStart is estimated to reduce the cost of traditional textbook purchases by an average of 40 to 50% and provide them by the first day of class.
Additionally, the time saved and added convenience of having all your required course materials sourced for you, ready for pick-up or shipped and automatically loaded into your Canvas account can remove a significant burden and allow students to focus on their success and preparation for the semester!
If you're unsure if Tigers SmartStart is the most cost-effective option, you can compare the retail cost with the cost of Tigers SmartStart ($24 per credit hour) using the Barnes & Noble College website.
To see the retail cost for each course, please use the following directions:
- Go to memphis.bncollege.com
- Hover over "Course Materials & Textbooks"
- Select "Find Course Materials"
- Use the dropdown menu to select your campus
- Input your courses, including the specific section you're enrolled in. To see retail pricing, select the term that does not include "SmartStart" in it. For example, you would select "Fall 2024" or "Spring 2025" instead of "Fall24 SmartStart" or "Spring25 SmartStart."
- Once you've input your schedule, select "Retrieve Materials"
- You will be redirected to a different page where you will see the cost of each material.
If there is a rental, used, and/or digital version of the title, those prices will
be included on this page.
Pro Tip: You should be able select "Add to Cart" for each item to see the grand total in your cart. This total can be compared to your Tigers SmartStart total.
We encourage students to enjoy deeply discounted and guaranteed course material on the first day of class. We understand this program may not meet the needs of every student. If you do not wish to participate in the program, you will need to opt-out for each term. Opt-out dates for each term are listed at the top of this page. Additionally, during the opt-out time frame for each term, there will be a blue button at the top of this page titled “Opt-Out” and the term identified. Click on that button and follow the instructions to opt-out of the program. If there is no opt-out button shown, the opt-out window is either not yet open for the term or has closed for the term. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU OPT-OUT YOU WILL LOSE ACCESS TO DIGITAL MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN LOADED INTO YOUR CANVAS ACCOUNT AS ACCESS TO THOSE MATERIALS AREA A PART OF THE TIGERS SMARTSTART PROGRAM. You will need to source the required digital material independently.
Yes, for Fall and Spring semesters there is an appeal process that lasts approximately two weeks after the opt-out window has closed. You must be able to show extenuating circumstances as to why you did not opt out within the time allotted or show that your individual circumstances have significantly changed. If the appeal window is active, you can click the button at the top of the page labeled “APPEAL” and it will send you to an email where you should share your narrative appeal and attach any pertinent documentation. BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR UID! Because Summer Sessions are already condensed, there is no formal appeal window for Tigers SmartStart during the summer sessions.
If your course information states "no materials required," it means your faculty member has confirmed that there are no required course materials for that course. If your course information states "pending book information," your faculty member has not yet confirmed the required course materials or confirmed that there are no course materials required. We recommend that you check the information for changes periodically for changes and reach out to the bookstore with questions.
Yes, you can change your decision during the opt-out window posted at the top of this webpage. Keep in mind that you will need to return your textbooks if you have already received them, and you will lose access to digital materials already loaded into your Canvas account.
Opt-out dates for each term are published near the top of this page. Please note that the program will follow the established University refund schedule.
YES! Follow this link to opt back into the program! Students can opt-out and opt back in one time. Should you make an error and wish to opt back into the program and can longer do so through the provided link, please contact the UofM bookstore.
TN eCampus books can only be purchased through the TN eCampus Virtual Bookstore and are not part of SmartStart. For more information on TN eCampus classes, please visit https://www.memphis.edu/cpls/online/startonline.php. If you are enrolled in a both TN eCampus and UofM online classes, Tigers SmartStart will be applied to your UofM online classes only.
Students will receive emails to remind them to verify their order. All students will be charged unless they opt-out of the program whether they verify their order or not. If a student does not verify their order, they will still have access to all required digital materials in Canvas and can pick up their physical materials from the bookstore.
Yes. Unless you opt out, your materials will be held at the bookstore and your student account will be charged.
You may return the book or other course material to the UofM bookstore. If you drop a class and enroll in a different class, revisit the email link to verify changes and select your delivery method. Or, visit the bookstore, and they will “swap” the required textbooks and codes so that you have what you need.
Yes, you will have 72 hours to return your textbooks. If you do not return the textbooks, the charges for the program will not be removed from your student account.
This program is designed to be an all-in or all-out solution to bring affordability to campus.
The UofM Bookstore is also an excellent resource to purchase or rent your required course materials outside of the Tigers SmartStart program.
For program questions, please contact the bookstore by e-mailing UofMbookstore@memphis.edu.
The UofM’s bookstore website and the verification email will show you what materials are required for each course. We encourage you to determine what your materials would cost should you have to spend time sourcing your materials independently along with the convenience of having all the materials ready for pick up, shipped to you, and/or automatically loaded into your Canvas account.
We are committed to protecting all personal information and take the utmost precautions to secure and store data.
The data provided to the bookstore is only used to help us deliver all your course materials based on your selected courses.
No. We are committed to the safeguarding of all personal information.
Payment
This program will cost a flat fee of $24 per credit hour, regardless of how much each textbook would cost if you purchased or rented it separately.
This program charge will be included on your student account, along with other charges such as tuition and fees. This allows a student to use Financial Aid, scholarships, etc. to pay for their course materials. Supplies are not included in this program and will need to be purchased separately.
The program will be handled in the same fashion as all other tuition and fees, and refunds will be processed in accordance with existing deadlines and procedures found here. Refunds specifically related to Tigers SmartStart will be processed weekly.
Materials
Required course material is provided in the format requested by the faculty. Your bundle could have a mix of physical and digital materials depending on the adopted format. All digital material will be automatically loaded into your Canvas account.
We are committed to providing accessible material, and the bookstore team can help with any special requests.
Students with disabilities who need textbooks in an accessible format should register with the office of Disability Resources for Students (DRS). The DRS application can be found here. DRS will work with the UofM bookstore to help provide accessible alternative formats to students with qualifying disabilities.
The program provides all required textbooks, lab manuals, study guides, access codes, and digital course materials to all undergraduate students in the delivery format (physical or digital) selected by faculty.
The program does not include course materials for graduate students programs or consumables that cannot be returned and reused such as lab goggles, dissection kits, molecular model kits, engineering kits, or nursing kits.
Yes!
We know things happen! Contact the bookstore team to work it out on a case-by-case basis.
You will still be required to return continuation course textbooks. You will be issued the same title for the next semester after successful registration of the continuation course.
Yes! Students are offered an option to buy the textbook at the end of the semester at a discounted price. Students should work directly with the bookstore if they wish to purchase.
Additionally, if you have been granted an incomplete, contact the bookstore who will work with you to retain your materials during the window of time you have been given to complete the course.
The deadline to return all rental textbooks is the last day of finals. Students will receive email reminders about the rental deadline to their UofM email address.
You should receive your first email approximately 30 days before classes begin provided you have registered for classes. If you have not received any emails from BNC, please check your junk/spam folder and make sure you have not blocked emails from @bncollege.com.
Digital course materials do not require you to select a fulfillment preference. Your digital materials will be available in Canvas by the first day of class.
No. Please use the link included in the Tigers SmartStart confirmation emails to verify and reserve your books. You can also utilize this link or the button at the top of this page after you have registered for courses.