Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) is here at BCIT! With the ZTC initiative we are dedicated to making education more affordable for everyone at BCIT. When we replace traditional, expensive textbooks with Open Educational Resources (OER), we ensure that students have everything they need to succeed from day one, without the financial burden.
What does it mean to be Zero Textbook Cost?
You can achieve ZTC status and be a ZTC instructor by:
- having no required textbook,
- assigning open educational resources (OER), such as an open textbook,
- assigning BCIT Library resources that are free for students,
- assigning instructor-created resources, such as instructor notes or other resources posted on the Learning Hub,
- assigning free online resources.
Courses may be marked as ZTC if a commercial textbook is optional.
Requiring students to pay for lab manuals or homework systems means that the course cannot be marked ZTC. Studio fees and equipment/supplies do not impact the ZTC designation.
How do I mark my course ZTC?
BCIT requires course outlines to be posted online, which is done in the Faculty Service Centre. When creating or copying a course outlines, you have the option to mark your course Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC). This way students will know that they will save money by taking your course.
How to find OER
You can achieve ZTC by incorporating OER (Open Education Resources) into your course.
- BC Open Collection by BCcampus
- Open Education Research Guide
- OER by Discipline Directory
- Open UBC Finding Guide
Content on this page was adapted from KPU’s ZTC webpage.
BCcampus institutional grant
In 2025, BCIT embarked on an institutional initiative to raise awareness of ZTC and grow ZTC adoption. BCcampus awarded BCIT a $33,000 institutional grant to support the project.
This grant has supported hiring two Student Marketing Research Assistants for the duration of the project, ZTC Open Education Grants, faculty awareness events at all five campuses, a survey of ZTC instructors, development of a data dashboard, pop-up events for students, and development of a project website.
ZTC in action
From Summer 2025 to Winter 2026 terms, the ZTC project team analyzed all ZTC-marked Course Outlines. 1944 courses were marked ZTC, and in Winter 2026 1 in 3 Course Outlines were marked ZTC!
The Associate Certificate in the Fundamentals of Water and Wastewater Operations program is BCIT’s first zero textbook cost (ZTC) certification.
The program curriculum takes full advantage of open education resources and practices. Students enrolled in the program will not be required to purchase any additional textbooks or resources.
ZTC Open Education Grants
In 2025, grants of up to $8,500 were available to develop Open Educational Resources to reduce or eliminate textbook cost for students. Learn more at our OER Grants Page. Applications for a ZTC Open Education Grant closed October 31, 2025 and 4 grants were awarded.
Draper & McNally (2020)“Students spend up to $1,750 per year on textbooks alone, accounting for nearly 15% of total education costs, before classes even begin.”