Zero Textbook Cost Courses and Degrees

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As of Spring 2026, the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Initiative at CUNY SPS has saved students over 5 million dollars.  Ninety-nine percent of General Education sections are ZTC or LTC (low-textbook-cost, under $25). The number of ZTC sections offered by the School has grown from 35 sections in Spring 2017 to 344 in Spring 2026, saving CUNY SPS students approximately $80 per seat in ZTC sections.

Instead of publisher's textbooks, ZTC courses use a mix of Open Education Resources (OER), links to scholarly and professional websites, resources from CUNY library databases, and multimedia lectures created by CUNY SPS professors. This work is made possible through generous funding from New York State to promote the use of OER in the CUNY and SUNY systems. 

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As of Spring 2026, CUNY SPS offers Six Zero Textbook Cost (Z-Degree) programs --  degree pathways that can be completed without ever purchasing a textbook. These include undergraduate programs in Disability Studies, Communication and Media, Sociology, Liberal Studies, Business, and the BPS in Applied Management and Entrepreneurship.

In Fall 2026 CUNY SPS will launch its first graduate Z-Degree: the Masters of Science in Nonprofit Management.

Zero Textbook Cost Sections

To find Zero Textbook Cost and Low Textbook Cost (textbook cost under $25) sections, search for the Zero Textbook Cost and Low Textbook Cost Attributes in CUNYfirst or CUNY Global Search. See the video above for instructions.