A Better Way to Save on Course Materials
Why pay thousands for textbooks? At Maricopa Community Colleges, our affordable textbook options put your success first—so you invest in your future, not overpriced course materials.
See how affordable textbooks are changing the game—and how you could save $1,400+ a year or more.
Affordable Textbooks at Maricopa Community Colleges
Affordable Textbooks at Maricopa Community Colleges
College students pay hundreds—even thousands—of dollars each year on course materials, compounding the rising cost of college as a whole.
But thanks to the affordable textbook options available to them, students at Maricopa Community Colleges collectively have saved $270 million since 2013—allowing them to put that money toward tuition, housing, or other essentials.
Since 2013, Maricopa Community Colleges has offered three proven pathways to affordable course materials:
A Leader in Affordability
Maricopa Community Colleges was the first higher education institution in the nation to establish course marking of no-cost and low-cost courses in the student schedule, allowing students to use the “Find a Class” tool to easily search for and enroll in courses that utilize ZTC, LTC, or OER.
Together, these programs have saved Maricopa students more than $270 million in textbook fees to date.
Frequently Asked Questions
While costs can vary significantly based on your major, courses, and choices, most college students spend between $500 and $1,400+ per year on required textbooks and supplies.
Don’t worry—simply enroll in a Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) or Low Textbook Cost (LTC) course (using our Find a Class tool) to get your required materials for free or under $40 total.
Enroll in Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) courses (found using our Find a Class tool) to get required textbooks for 100% free, or choose Low Textbook Cost (LTC) courses for materials under $40.
Yes—enroll in OER courses (tagged in our Find a Class tool) for free, instant-access to digital course materials. For other low-cost options, explore ZTC ($0) or LTC (<$40) courses.
By choosing Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC), Low Textbook Cost (LTC), or Open Educational Resources (OER) courses, Maricopa Community College students save hundreds yearly. Some learners—like those in Z-Degree pathways—even reduce costs to nearly $0 for all materials.
Soaring textbook costs stem from limited competition, non-resalable digital codes, and frequent new editions, among other factors—but Maricopa Community College students can circumvent these costs by utilizing our affordable textbook options.
Yes! Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) classes guarantee that the total cost of required textbooks is $0—including textbooks, ebooks, department-purchased technology and more. There may be lab fees or costs for non-textbook materials (like calculators). Check the Class Notes for your section in Find a Class to see more details.
OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that are unique from regular textbooks—including LTC and ZTC materials—because they reside in the public domain or have an open license copyright that permits others to reuse, revise, remix, redistribute, and retain them.
Research shows that OER can match or exceed the quality of commercial textbooks, providing effective learning materials at little to no cost. These resources are developed and regularly updated by experienced faculty and specialists, ensuring that the information is accurate and up-to-date.