College Aims for 50 Zero-Cost Textbook Programs by 2025
West Los Angeles College (West) is expanding its zero-cost textbook program after receiving a $600,000 grant from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. The funding will help the college increase the number of degree and certificate programs that can be completed without students ever having to pay for textbooks.
West currently offers seven degrees and certificates that exclusively use No-cost Open Educational Resources (OER), also known as Zero-Cost Textbooks (ZTC). This includes programs in Communication Studies, English, Sociology, Anthropology, Climate Change Studies, and Cloud Computing. The college aims to offer 50 ZTC degrees and certificates by December 2025, including a one-year certificate in Biotechnology.
“Students have repeatedly expressed their appreciation for programs like Communication Studies that can be completed without any textbook costs,” said Clare Norris-Bell, Chair of Language Arts at West. “I’m so proud of my colleagues’ hard work vetting and adopting these texts.”
ZTC classes are already available in a range of subjects, including Anthropology, Art, Business, Child Development, Cinema, Computer Science, Communications, English, Environmental Science, Math, and Psychology.Winter and spring sessions at West begin on Jan. 6 and Feb. 10, 2025, respectively. Open enrollment starts Nov. 11, 2024. For more information, visit WLAC.edu/IAmReady.
