Z as in Zero: Increasing College Access and Success through Zero-Textbook-Cost Degrees | Hewlett Foundation

"The Hewlett Foundation gives nearly $8 million each year to get Open Educational Resources  (OER) into mainstream use. We believe that one of the natural consequences of widespread OER adoption will be an increase in students’ educational access and success—with the average U.S. college student now spending $1200 each year on textbooks and other course materials on top of tuition, it’s easy to see how those costs are hindering lower income students from attending college. And that’s not all: a 2014 study by the Student Public Interest Research Group showed that a majority of college students actually base course selection decisions on textbook prices and avoid courses with expensive content. Other students simply don’t purchase required textbooks or show up on the first day of class without a textbook because the cheaper used version they found online is still at the online merchant’s warehouse. Amazingly, the cost of textbooks now sometimes exceeds the cost of tuition, particularly at the community colleges that have traditionally provided a lower-cost alternative (e.g., programs at Cerritos College in California). But there is light at the end of this dark textbook tunnel. Last year, faculty and administrators at Tidewater Community College (TCC) in Virginia accomplished something remarkable. Relying heavily on OER, TCC designed a curriculum that allows students to skip nearly $3700 in textbook costs and achieve a two-year degree in Business Administration. The 'Z-Degree,' as it’s known, has had some incredible impacts. In the first year of Z-Degree implementation, TCC saw a significant increase in the percentage of students completing courses with a C or better, while simultaneously cutting the cost to graduate by 20-30%. TCC also saw a significant decrease in withdrawal rates among students enrolled in the Z-Degree. In a recent report, TCC administrators indicated that they are hopeful that other institutions will follow their lead: 'Tidewater intentionally developed a model that can be reproduced. All of their curriculum materials are openly available under a Creative Commons Attribution License, and there is a wealth of additional open resources available.' Indeed, several other institutions and systems are developing or have developed their own zero-textbook-cost degrees, including the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), the Virginia Community College System, the Washington State Community College System, Thomas Edison State College, and the University System of Maryland. The zero-textbook-cost degrees at institutions like TCC and NOVA represent models that other institutions can adopt or adapt to help their own students lower the costs of higher education while increasing college access and success ..."