Reducing the Cost of Attending College

ZTC = Zero Textbook Cost = Access to a College Education

The California Legislature established the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) program with one-time funding in the Budget Act of 2021 to “reduce the overall cost of education for students and decrease the time it takes students to complete degree programs offered by community colleges.” Funding has been dispersed to colleges in the form of a number of grants that aim to develop and implement zero cost or low-cost degrees and CTC certificates.

While adopting an openly licensed textbook is one of the most common methods used to reach zero textbook costs for a course, there are several ways to achieve ZTC designation. Remember that ZTC is the goal, and OER is one of the tools we use to achieve zero textbook cost. In addition to OER, here are other ways faculty can convert courses to ZTC:

Don't forget to notify the Administrative Assistant in your division every semester when you are teaching courses that do not require students to purchase a commercial textbook. By doing so, you ensure that your course is marked as ZTC on the Schedule of Classes. Whether your class simply has no need for a book, as in the case of a gym or art course, you use materials from the Shatford Library that students can access for free, as in the case of journal articles and eBooks, or you have adopted an OER text, it's vital to let students know before they enroll in your ZTC class that they will not need to set aside money to purchase a textbook!

This link will take you to the ASCCC OERI "Zero Means Zero Textbook Cost" Resolution, 2021.

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