FSCJ is committed to reducing the cost of course materials for students by offering classes that use free Open Educational Resources (OER) or low-cost digital materials that are accessible to all students. 

Financial Impact

The annual cost of textbooks is approximately $1,300 per year for a full-time community college student. That is roughly a third of the cost of an associate degree. This high cost can be a significant barrier to college completion. Through OER and low-cost digital materials, a student can save approximately $100 per course. These cost savings can help pay for books, supplies or additional classes needed to complete a degree.

Through the Achieving the Dream OER Degree Pathways grant, students saved $892,000 in textbook costs from the 2017 Spring Term through the 2018 Fall Term. With additional course development through the Complete Florida OER Challenge grant, and the continued expansion of online and hybrid OER sections, this savings to students was $1,676,200 by the end of the 2019 Summer Term.

How We Are Able to Help

Several faculty members at the College have adopted OER or no cost materials in their classes. The Achieving the Dream OER Degree Pathways grant even enabled FSCJ to offer students an entire Associate in Arts degree option that does not require purchasing a single textbook.

As one of only two colleges in Florida to be part of this national project, FSCJ has developed 24 courses that are offered online through FSCJ Online and in a hybrid classroom mode for evening degree completion at the Downtown Campus. Degree completion using these courses will soon be available at our Cecil and Deerwood centers too.  

We offer students free and low-cost digital course materials for select classes each term. 

In order to determine if a course is using Open Educational Resources (OER) or low-cost digital materials, review the class notes for each individual class section in myFSCJ. An advisor can also direct you to available courses each term.

The sample schedule below demonstrates how you can earn an Associate in Arts degree without purchasing any textbooks.

Please review the regularly updated course listings on this website to find the particular class sections that are a part of this initiative.