How Cosumnes River
College’s Zero Textbook Cost Initiative Is Transforming Student Access
Cosumnes River College believes that no student should be held back by the cost of a textbook. That belief set the college on a path to becoming a 100% Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) institution, breaking down one barrier to make college more affordable and accessible to everyone.
With the average cost of books and supplies for a full academic year around $1,370*, these expenses can be a major barrier to success. Many students spend hours searching for used copies, go without them entirely, or even drop a class because they can’t afford the required materials. CRC’s ZTC initiative removes that burden so students can show up prepared from day one and focus on learning.
The college has made great progress since launching its ZTC initiative in 2021. As of fall 2025, 76% of course sections are being taught as ZTC, with about 30% using Open Educational Resources (OER) — free, openly licensed materials that faculty can adapt for their courses.
The effort is paying off. CRC students are saving $2.5 million each semester on textbooks and materials — adding up to almost $10 million since the program began. These savings help students stay enrolled, complete their programs with fewer obstacles, and move more quickly into their chosen careers.
Creating change, one textbook at a time
The college’s ZTC initiative is led full-time by librarian Andi Adkins Pogue. “If you’re serious about this and want to make an impact, there’s just no way you can do it in a day or two a week while juggling other priorities,” she said.
Making the switch to ZTC isn’t easy. Faculty get stipends, reassigned time, and hands-on support to adopt existing OER or create entirely new digital textbooks — and that’s just the beginning. “Even when faculty remix existing materials, it can take months to outline and build a usable textbook. And when they write from scratch, it can take over a year,” Adkins Pogue explained.
Some programs face greater challenges. Career education fields like welding, construction, and medical assisting often lack openly licensed textbooks. Others, such as veterinary or pharmacy technology, rely on materials from accrediting bodies that come with costly access codes. To fill those gaps, CRC uses Strong Workforce Program funding to buy textbooks that students can borrow and support faculty in creating new OER materials.
Adkins Pogue noted that the process is ongoing. Continued support and funding ensure materials stay updated over time. “Once a faculty member switches over to an OER or a free textbook, they’re pretty much sold on the idea because they see the immediate impact it has on students,” she said.
Empowering students to focus on learning
The push toward 100% ZTC is doing more than saving students money — it’s changing how teaching and learning happens at CRC.
Faculty take pride in the difference they’re making. “Now it’s a point of pride for them to say, ‘Look at all the money we’re saving our students,’” Adkins Pogue shared. She has also seen firsthand how faculty are redesigning courses to be more culturally relevant and adopting open pedagogy, where students don’t just consume information but actively contribute to and improve it. For example, Brandy Jones-Thomas, Department Chair of the college’s Social Work and Human Services program, is leading a multi-year plan to publish three OER textbooks co-authored with her students. Starting this semester, students are contributing real-world case studies to prepare future learners for challenges they may encounter in the field. Students have embraced the opportunity, taking pride in helping to shape resources that will educate their peers for years to come.
Many ZTC classes fill quickly each semester, prompting the college to add sections to keep up with growing student demand.
And students have recognized faculty ZTC champions who have gone above and beyond to make learning accessible. As a nutrition student shared, “The articles, lectures, and provided book links in my class are not only informative but also incredibly helpful in understanding the material. As a full-time student who also works, having access to these free resources has allowed me to focus more on learning rather than worrying about extra expenses.”
“The stress of paying for college alone can be overwhelming,” noted an architecture student. “Having teachers who [understand] this about their students really shows that they care and take the time to help teach them.”
When students don’t have to stress about affording textbooks, they can truly focus on learning. That’s exactly what CRC’s zero textbook cost initiative aims to make possible — one course, one textbook, and one student at a time.
*Source: The College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2023