If you're wondering, "What does that mean, and why is the Registrar asking me about it?" then this information is for you.

In an effort to combat the rising cost of required textbooks and other class materials, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education has recommended that MA state colleges and universities formally designate which

• courses (all course sections involved use free or low cost required materials)
• individual sections of a course (even if the other sections don't use free or low cost required materials)
• directed studies
• labs

are:

• 'No-cost' (The required main text / materials are completely free)

or

• 'Low-cost' (The main required text / materials cost $50 or under).

These clear designations will make it easy for students to identify coursed which (beyond tuition) are free or low-cost to take.

What the MA DHE defines as 'No Cost' Required Texts / Materials for the purpose of Course Marking:

• Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Free, available online from day one, openly-licensed or public domain materials
  • If OER is new to you, our OER guide will tell you more

• Free online materials

  • Free online, but not openly-licensed - authoritative 'Gray Literature' would be a good example of this

• Licensed Library Materials

  • Free for students to use, because the Library already paid for it - eBooks, streaming documentaries, journal articles, that unlimited users can access simultaneously

Yes; you can have your course labeled as 'No Cost' even if you offer your students the option of getting a print copy of an OER that they'd have to pay for (just the cost of reproduction), available IF they want to use that format rather than read the free online version.

Yes; you can mix and match materials from all three categories.  All that matters is that, in the end, it all adds up to $0 cost to your students.

What is NOT no cost / OER (but MAY be low-cost):

• Your main text is still commercial and you just use some OER on the side as a supplement
• You told your students to buy a commercial textbook but put a copy on reserve - UNLESS unlimited students can access it simultaneously
• You're using an OER but your students still have to pay for an access code to an online course or homework platform
• Your course is using an 'Inclusive Access' or 'First Day' prepaid via student fees product
• Your course uses certain 3rd-party bookstore products (e.g.: BNC OER+) that may include OER but are too proprietary about it and do NOT allow continual, free access to the public
• Courses / sections (e.g.: Yoga) that have never had any required text / materials to begin with

The final cost to students for the required, main course text or materials...is $50 or less.

If you teach a bundled (both required that semester) lecture and lab, the total cost for both parts needs to be $50 or under to gain the low cost designation.

What types of materials might you use to attain this 'Low cost' label?

If you're using an inclusive access product, and it's $50 or under - get it labeled low cost.

Same for any format - textbooks or bundles of smaller books, new or used, course packs from the bookstore, required online homework platforms (some are not that expensive), whatever it may be - if it totals $50 or under, it will be labeled low-cost.

If you're REALLY close to the $50 or under cost, but not quite there yet, try switching some of your commercial book-based readings with some OER or library resources to bring down your over-all course cost.  The Library's always happy to assist you with this.

NOTE: Yes; textbook cost, especially used, can vary widely. So, the DHE defines the 'official' cost of a textbook as:

• The pre-tax retail price at the campus bookstore OR the one charged if ordered directly from the publisher (whichever is lower), whether new or used material
• Bookstore or publisher has to have enough - all students HAVE to be able to get their $50 or under copy
• No pro-rating the cost based on credits or how many sections - you can't claim an $100 text is 'really only $50 for each semester'.
• Don't use the used textbook online seller sites (like Amazon or Chegg) to determine your textbook's retail cost - the supply and cost varies too widely.

Instructional materials are defined as:

• Textbooks, eBooks, websites, software programs, apps, courseware packages, access codes to homework sites

Instructional materials do NOT include:

• Tools and supplies cost, such as lab coat, goggles, notebook paper, art materials, thumb drives, or calculators
• Auxiliary fees such as lab fee, technology fee, or eLearning fee
• Inclusive Access or First Day programs