Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)

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 outline, 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 Educational 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. The project was successfully completed on March 31, 2026.

BCIT’s ZTC project has its own website — visit zerotextbookcost.com for data, faculty stories, open resources, event recaps, blog posts, and more. Read about our grant recipients on the ZTC Blog.

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.

Track ZTC adoption across BCIT programs using our Data Dashboard.

In March 2026, the project team celebrated its first anniversary with a ZTC Instructor Luncheon & Student Panel, bringing together ZTC faculty and students to reflect on the initiative’s impact.

Faculty voices

Hear directly from BCIT instructors who have adopted ZTC in their courses, including video interviews and written spotlights, on the ZTC Interview Videos page.

Learn more about the responses to our survey of ZTC instructors. Quotes from the survey were developed into posters which can be used by anyone to promote ZTC.

ZTC Open Education Grants

Thanks to matching funds from BCcampus, $25,500 in Zero Textbook Cost development grants were awarded in 2025. Learn more about the recipients on the ZTC project site.