MUNCIE, Ind. - If you've opted out of Ball State's First Day program for the Fall semester, that wasn't a permanent thing--to stay opted out, you'll have to do it again.
The CI first reported on First Day July 28, explaining that, while the university states the program offers "discounted, low-priced course materials on the first day of class," it's more affordable for some students to opt out than stay in.
"[Ball State University] is gonna charge me $100 more than what it would cost if I bought [my books] on my own," one student posted to the anonymous, student-only social media platform YikYak last semester.
"Ain't nobody spend[ing] over $300 a semester on textbooks," another student posted.
Now, according to the program website, students wanting to opt out will have to manually do that every semester.
Simply put, if buying your textbooks cost less than $22.75/credit hour you're taking, you'll save money by opting out.
To opt out, you'll have to visit FirstDayOptOut.bsu.edu and click the toggle. You'll get an email from the Ball State Bookstore afterwards that the process is complete.
The due date to opt out for the Spring 2026 semester is January 11, 2026.