HCC Course Material Program
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HCC Course Material Program?
- HCC has partnered with Slingshot to provide its premier course material delivery service to for-credit students at HCC. Think of it as a subscription box for all of your learning materials!
- Simply enroll in classes and all of your required course materials will be waiting for you at the HCC Bookstore before the first day of class. Starting in the Summer, all students are included in the Slingshot program automatically and will receive all required items for their classes. All course material charges are covered in your tuition and fees by a $23 per-credit-hour fee. No need to place an order or enter any credit card information!
Can I use financial aid for the HCC Course Material Program?
- Yes! Any available financial aid will be applied to the per-credit-hour fee.
How can I view what is included in this program?
- After you have been registered for courses for at least one day, go to howardcc.slingshotedu.com, log in, and click Buy or Rent Books. Your course schedule will load. Any required materials listed in your course schedule will be included in the program.
Are there any materials that are excluded from the program?
- All required course materials are provided to for-credit students enrolled for courses at the $23 per credit hour rate.
How does this program work with Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) sections?
- True ZERO cost OER and ZTC courses are excluded from the EA course fee. This means that if a section has been designated as ZTC, it has zero course material requirements that would traditionally be purchased by the bookstore, and is exempt from the course fee. However, if your course is designated as "ZTC" but has non-text course required materials, such as art supplies, calculators, etc. This course is included in course materials fee.
In what format will I receive my course materials?
- Course materials will be a mix of physical materials and digital materials depending on availability.
Do I own the materials provided to me by Slingshot in the course materials program?
- Most materials that are provided to you are rentals and are required to be returned at the end of the term.
- Failure to return any rentals by the deadline will result in an automatic purchase of the item.
- This is billed to your student account and the buyout cost varies for each material that wasn’t returned and is often based on format of the rental.
- You will receive email notifications from Slingshot regarding materials that need to be returned, including due dates.
- You can also find more information in your student portal at howardcc.slingshotedu.com
When and where are physical materials picked up?
- Course materials will be available for pickup starting about two weeks prior to your first course’s start date for each term. Watch your HCC email for a notification from Slingshot Logistics that you have something to pick up at the HCC Bookstore.
Where will I access digital materials?
- Digital materials are accessed in your Slingshot account at howardcc.slingshotedu.com under My Course Materials. These become accessible seven days prior to each course start date. Watch your HCC email for a notification that digital items are ready in your Slingshot account.
What if I want a physical book instead of a digital book?
- If you receive a digital book and would prefer to purchase a physical copy, you can do so at howardcc.slingshotedu.com or the HCC Bookstore.
How will I know if I am receiving digital or physical materials?
- You will receive an order confirmation when it is created. The format will be listed in the order confirmation. Once your order is complete, you can view the format of each item by logging in at howardcc.slingshotedu.com and going to My Course Materials.
What if I drop a course?
- If you drop a course, you will receive an email notification and have 5 business days from the drop date to arrange the return of your course materials with no penalty. If no action is taken for physical course materials, the student account will be billed for the full purchase price. Digital books are automatically returned for you.
If I need to retake a course, will I have to pay the course fee again?
- If you must retake a course in a future semester, you will be subject to the $23 per-credit-hour course fee again.
What if I don’t want to be opted in to Slingshot?
- Students should speak with each of their instructors before opting out. Log in to your Slingshot account and adjust your preference using these few steps.
- Visit howardcc.slingshotedu.com and click the Log In button in the top right corner of the home screen
- All registered students already have an account - use HCC credentials to log in.
- View or adjust your course material subscription preference selection under the "My Account"
- Select your preference. Choose “Opt Out” if you would like to source materials on your own. Choose Standard if you would like to be opted in.
If I am opted out, how can I purchase materials?
- If you choose to opt out of the Slingshot program, you can still buy books a la carte from the Campus Store. Place an order online, or visit the Campus Store to place an order in person. Financial aid can be used if any funds are available.
Can I opt out of one class and not another?
- Unfortunately, no. The Course Materials program offered by HCC requires that students either participate for all of their for-credit courses or opt-out entirely. As such, if you do not wish to participate, you will need to opt-out for all of your courses in a semester, and you will need to purchase all required materials independently.
Does my preference carry over to the next term?
- Yes, unless the student changes it. Preferences do not reset each term. If a student opts out in one term, they will remain opted out until they choose to opt back in.
When can I opt out?
- Students have until the end of the add/drop period to opt out. Any materials that have been fulfilled for you will need to be returned to the HCC Bookstore. You will have 5 business days from the day you drop the course to arrange the return of your course materials with no penalty. If no action is taken for physical course materials, your student account will be billed for the full purchase price. Digital books are automatically returned for you.
When will I see the credit on my account if I opt out?
- Accounts will be reviewed weekly for updates to reflect the opt out status. During peak registration times, accounts will be reviewed within 7-10 business days after the add/drop period for updates to reflect the opt out status.
Can I opt back in?
- Students may choose to opt back in once per semester and must do so by the end of the add/drop period. If you have already returned your course materials to the store and are opting back in, please notify the HCC Bookstore that you are opting back in and need to have your order recreated by emailing howardcc@slingshotedu.com.
How can I get more support?
- Yes, stop by the Howard Bookstore on campus in the RCF Student Services Building, or reach out to Slingshot Customer Support via email, chat, iMessage, or phone by going to slingshotedu.com/support.