“Instructional Materials” refers to all the required materials for a course, including textbooks, supplemental materials and supplies.

Instructional Materials=Textbooks+Supplemental Materals+Supplies

According to the California Code of Regulations Title 5 §59402, required instructional materials are defined as “any materials which a student must procure or possess as a condition of registration, enrollment or entry into a class; or any such material which is necessary to achieve the required objectives of a course.” This includes a broad range of items, including textbooks, access codes for accessing online homework systems and other digital resources, career-specific resources such as knives and brushes, and supplies such as goggles, paint and calculators.

In 2021-2022 the California Student Aid Commission conducted a Student Expenses and Resources Survey and learned that, across the state’s public colleges and universities, undergraduates spend an average of $938 per year on instructional materials, including $486 on books, $137 on educational supplies, $173 on course materials and $142 on computer-related expenses, excluding the cost of a personal computer.

Instructional material requirements widely vary across major programs within the California community colleges, with Career Technical Education programs often costing more for students due to the need for industry-standard uniforms, occupational tools and/or third-party licensing/certifications.

Even homework systems, required for submitting assignments online, can cost students $200 or more per course. The price of textbooks, which have outpaced inflation rates, have surged by a staggering 178% since 2000, according to an article by EdSource titled, "Let’s help struggling students rather than benefiting textbook publishers".

Definitions

“Burden-free student experience” means the alleviation of financial, administrative, and psychological burdens that students are currently grapple with, fostering an environment where they can focus on learning and, ultimately, thrive in college.

“Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant program” (ZTC Program) represents a major investment by the Governor and the Legislature to “reduce the overall cost of education for students and decrease the time it takes students to complete degree programs offered by community colleges.”1 The ZTC Program provides $115 million in one-time funding to support community college districts to develop and implement “zero-textbook-cost degrees” and develop open educational resources for courses.

“Zero-textbook-cost degrees” means “community college associate degrees or career technical education certificates earned entirely by completing courses that eliminate conventional textbook costs by using alternative instructional materials and methodologies, including open educational resources.

History and Timeline

A Decade of Commitment to Student Success (2015 – 2025)

Year Timeline
2025

Title V Section 54221 Implementation
Passage and implementation of new Title V regulation establishing governance policy framework around burden-free instructional materials, creating mandatory institutional accountability measures.

Statewide OER Platform RFP Release
Chancellor's Office releases comprehensive Request for Proposal to build a cutting-edge, system-wide OER platform featuring AI-enhanced content creation, accessibility tools, and predictive analytics for teaching and learning.

Implementation Task Force Progress
Task Force work groups deliver detailed action plans and begin systematic implementation of the 19 recommendations across all 116 California community colleges.
2024

Implementation Task Force Formed
Chancellor's Office establishes Implementation Task Force with three specialized work groups: Financial & Sustainability Solutions, Policy & Regulations, and Professional Development & Scaling Services.

Comprehensive Field Research
Jobs for the Future conducts extensive research including student focus groups at Shasta College and Cerritos College, plus interviews with college and system leaders to inform implementation strategies.
2023

SB 101: Appropriates $3M for textbooks/digital content to incarcerated students, encourages OER use.

SB 117: $650M block grant for COVID-19 learning loss mitigation, includes OER development funding.

AB 607: Requires display of estimated course materials costs for 75% of classes in online schedules.

Task Force Report: 19 Recommendations
Student Burden-Free Instructional Materials Task Force delivers comprehensive report with 19 strategic recommendations to eliminate instructional material costs system-wide

Board of Governors Resolution 2023-18
Board adopts resolution committing to "strengthen student financial stability, equitable student engagement and success by prioritizing the reduction and ultimately elimination of instructional material costs."
2022

Student Burden-Free Instructional Materials Task Force Formed
Chancellor's Office establishes a comprehensive task force to address systemic barriers to affordable instructional materials and develop sustainable solutions for reducing student costs.

XB12 Data Collection Enhancement
Implementation of enhanced data collection systems to track zero-cost course sections and measure the impact of OER initiatives across the system.
2021

AB 132: $115 million one-time funding for zero-textbook-cost degrees using OER.

AB 128: $3 million for textbooks/digital content for incarcerated students.
2018

AB 2385: Urges publishers to detail differences between textbook editions.

SB 840: $3 million annually for textbooks for incarcerated students.

AB 1809: $6 million for OER development and California Online Community College.
2017 AB 97/SB 72: Allows high-needs student funding for OER and zero-textbook-cost degrees.
2016

SB 1359: Requires identification of courses using free digital materials.

AB 1602: Establishes Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant Program ($5M).
2015 AB 798: Creates Open Educational Resources Adoption Incentive Fund.