As Bruins pack their bags to return for fall quarter, they should be focused on taking intriguing classes, building friendships and joining clubs.

But Bruin One Access’ $20 quarterly price increase from $129 to $149 will compound students’ financial stress.

Bruin One Access is a subscription program run by ASUCLA that provides undergraduate students access to course materials and textbooks required for their classes for a flat-rate fee. Students can decide to opt in or out within the first two weeks of every quarter. This program aims to make textbooks affordable and convenient.

Bruin One Access needs to realign with its goal of affordability and convenience for students by improving the quality and inclusivity of the program, making the raised price worth it for students.

The Daily Bruin reported in July that students expressed concern for this price increase. The price increase, students said, might not only add to the financial burden of college, but also discourage the use of the program altogether.

[Related: Amid student concerns, Bruin One Access to increase to $149 per quarter]

“A $20 increase doesn’t sound like a lot off of the top of your head, but it does matter to people who are struggling financially,” said Jack Atherton, a recent alumnus. “Twenty bucks is the difference between dinner and not having food to eat.”

An ASUCLA spokesperson said Bruin One Access’ flat-rate fee is one of the lowest priced programs across the UC system.

“The adjustment to the flat quarterly rate will help ensure the long-term sustainability of the program so that it remains accessible to students at a price point that is lower than traditional print textbook programs,” said an ASUCLA spokesperson in an emailed statement.

Even if that’s true, it doesn’t mean UCLA students won’t feel the financial impact of the program’s price increase.

And if ASUCLA is going to implement this $60 annual uptick, it at least needs to improve the quality of the program. In its current form, Bruin One Access fails to encompass all the materials students are expected to purchase.

Atherton said that in addition to the program’s hefty flat-rate fee, his professors have requested he buy books outside of the required course materials that cost up to $110.

“It’s difficult because we need to pay so much for the program, and then on top of that, pay for additional materials that often aren’t even included,” said Mayukha Talinki, a rising third-year molecular, cellular and developmental biology student.

Raising the price is only fair if ASUCLA improves the range of materials included in the program. There has been no indication that it plans to do so.

The price increase, combined with the program’s failure to encompass every required textbook, will discourage Bruins from opting into Bruin One Access altogether. The Bruin One Access program should help students learn, not add to the financial burden of college.