A new video from the University of the Fraser Valley highlights the impact of its Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) initiative and the role open education plays in making learning more affordable for students.
The video was produced as part of UFV’s Open Education In-Action Initiative, supported by an Open Education Institutional Grant from BCcampus. With this yearlong grant spanning 2025–2026, UFV expanded institutional capacity for open educational practices in several ways, such as by formalizing an open education strategy for the university. Another aspect of UFV’s grant activities was launching their ZTC program.
In fall 2025, UFV added ZTC indicators to their course registration system. ZTC courses remove the requirement for students to purchase traditional textbooks by instead using open educational resources, library materials, and other no-cost learning resources. These approaches help reduce financial barriers while ensuring students have access to course materials from the first day of class.
ZTC indicators help students to better manage their finances by letting them know ahead of time which course sections will not ask them to pay for textbooks. Instead of the shock of learning on day one of a course that the required reading is a $200 textbook, students can be confident that they know what they are financially signing up for when they register.
Gurpreet Singh, UFV Student Union Society VP External, was featured in UFV’s video on ZTC indicators. In the video, he says, “I definitely feel I’m more inclined towards taking a course which is ZTC and doesn’t come with the textbook costs associated with it.”
The video also features Arianna Cheveldave, BCcampus Open Education Coordinator, who highlights the role of students in putting pressure on their institutions to provide more ZTC options.
“We hope that students will notice these symbols in course registration systems, then wonder why they don’t have more courses in their program that are zero or low-textbook cost and become more involved in OER advocacy.”–Arianna Cheveldave
Through funding programs and partnerships with post-secondary institutions, BCcampus supports projects that expand the use of open educational resources and help reduce costs for students across British Columbia. The BCcampus Cost Indicators project will soon release a call for proposals from institutions looking to start or expand a cost indicators initiative such as the one at UFV. For more information, keep an eye on the project page.