Championing Affordability and Informed Student Choices
Maricopa Community Colleges was the first higher education institution in the nation to implement course marking for no-cost and low-cost materials directly within the student schedule. Using the "Find a Class" tool, students can easily search for and enroll in sections that use affordable or open materials.
Transparency in course costs is essential for student success and financial planning. When students know their material costs upfront, they can budget accurately, avoid surprise expenses at the start of the term, and register for courses with confidence.
Understanding Our Course Notes
MCCCD uses specific course notes in the registration system to help students identify affordable course options:
- LTC Note (Low Textbook Cost): Indicates that required textbooks for the course total $40 or less.
- ZTC Note (Zero Textbook Cost): Indicates that there are $0 required textbook costs.
- OER Note (Open Educational Resources): Indicates that the section utilizes Open Educational Resources.
Combining Notes: Courses can have more than one note applied. For example, if a course section uses OER materials that are free to students, both the ZTC and OER notes will be applied.
Beyond the Course Note: How OER and Transparency Support Student Success
While course tags provide essential upfront financial details, the materials behind those notes directly impact student access, engagement, and retention.
When faculty select OER or library-backed ZTC materials, learning resources are available digitally on the very first day of class at no cost to students. Eliminating the wait for ordering materials or delaying purchases until financial aid arrives ensures that every student can engage with course readings and assignments immediately, starting the semester on equal footing.
Open Educational Resources carry open licenses that give faculty the flexibility to adapt, update, and customize content specifically for Maricopa course outcomes. For students, OER materials offer permanent, ongoing access—ensuring they can revisit their learning resources long after the course ends for future reference throughout their academic and professional journeys.
Not all zero-cost courses rely exclusively on OER; many achieve ZTC status through the dedicated work of our campus libraries.
- Curated Digital Holdings: Librarians collaborate directly with faculty to source, evaluate, and integrate high-quality library-licensed e-books, scholarly articles, streaming media, and databases into course sites.
- Institutional Investment: By leveraging existing library subscriptions and purchasing multi-user licenses, libraries eliminate out-of-pocket textbook costs for students while maintaining academic rigor and rich content diversity.
High textbook costs remain one of the top hidden barriers to degree completion. Clear course marking paired with library-supported ZTC materials and OER helps students build affordable schedules, take more credit hours per semester, and complete their educational goals faster with less debt.
Support and Collaboration
Looking to transition your course to ZTC or OER?
- Partner with Your Campus Library: Connect with your local librarians to explore existing digital library holdings that can replace commercial textbooks for ZTC designation.
- Connect with OER Liaisons: Get guidance on finding, adopting, or building open resources for your courses.