Slingshot FAQs

Slingshot is a privately held, family-owned company headquartered in central Indiana, serving institutions ranging in size from less than 1,000 to nearly 20,000 students nationwide. Here is what makes Slingshot different: 

Prioritizing students’ needs. Slingshot’s Equitable Access model aims to solve issues surrounding student preparedness and student success. Slingshot believes the baseline is all students, all materials, by the first day of class, at an affordable price. 

Pioneering Equitable Access has led to significant outcomes at partner institutions. A sample of five partner schools that implemented Slingshot’s Equitable Access Programs saw an eight percent (8%) increase in graduation rates. 

Commitment to innovation and exceptional service. With partners ranging from 1,000 to 20,000 students, Slingshot provides customized solutions to suit every partner’s needs. 

All new first-year, international, and transfer students will be automatically opted into Slingshot beginning in the fall 2024 semester. Students will be billed on their student account at the beginning of each semester. In the fall 2024 semester, all returning students can choose to opt into the Equitable Access Program, and your student account will be charged at the beginning of each term. If you choose to opt out, you will remain opted out for future terms, but you can opt back into Slingshot by selecting a preference on the “My Account” page of the Slingshot portal. Students that stay opted out can still place online orders for their course materials from the Slingshot portal. 

All students receive their required course materials for every course, including consumable items like art supply kits, course packs, access codes, and workbooks, through the Slingshot Equitable Access Program. By default, course materials will be a mix of physical rental books or eBooks, dependent on availability. 

Residential students will pick up their materials at the Clausen Center when they arrive on campus as part of check-in. For commuter students or students enrolled in a J-Term, course materials can be picked up at the campus bookstore in the Campbell Student Union or mailed to an address of your choice. Digital items will be accessible via the Slingshot portal. Email notifications will be sent when items are ready to pick up and when digital items are available to access. 

Yes, course materials will be automatically provided and delivered at the beginning of each term and can be picked up at the campus bookstore. 

If you add a course, Slingshot will automatically receive your enrollment information and process a new order for any materials that you need. An email notification will be sent as soon as the item(s) are available. 

If you drop a course, you will receive an email notification and have seven business days form 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. 

Students who opt into the Slingshot Equitable Access Program can apply their financial aid to the cost of their course materials. 

If you don’t want to participate in the Slingshot Equitable Access Program and would rather source materials on your own, you may do so by the designated due date each term in Workday. After that, your opt-out will go into effect with your next order. Opted-out students can still order books under the “Buy Books” tab of the Slingshot portal. 

Any course material, that is greater than $500 in value, will be charged outside of the per credit hour fee. Examples of such course materials are nursing ATI software and specialized engineering hardware and software. 

Questions about your course materials or the Equitable Access Program can be emailed to carthage@slingshotedu.com.