At CCC, low-cost text (LCT) courses have a required course material cost of $40 or less. A "LCT" icon appears as a designation in the CCC course schedule next to course sections that meet the LCT course material cost requirement.
Included in the calculations for required course material cost are: required textbooks and other text-based materials, workbooks, lab manuals, online homework software (e.g. MyMathLab, etc.), and codes or publisher-provided curricular materials for students. Printing costs are not included, unless a printed version is required for the course.
Excluded from the cost calculations are: art supplies, calculators, software, course and student fees or equipment, and optional costs.
How is LCT different from OER?
What materials are included/excluded in LCT calculations?
Included | Excluded |
---|---|
Textbooks (print and electronic) | Printing costs associated with printing a required low cost or free eBook (if the student prefers a printed version) |
Workbooks, lab manuals, and other "one time use" printed or electronic material | Computer software used across classes and outside of school (e.g., MS Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop) |
Online homework software (e.g., MyMathLab) | Calculators |
One-time use codes (e.g., access code used to take the online StrengthsFinder 2.0) | Optional or variable cost items (e.g., theater tickets, art supplies, safety equipment, "recommended" readings) |
Course and student fees |
My textbook is used over multiple terms/courses. If the text costs more than $40 but it is required for three sequential classes (e.g., PSY101, 102, 103), are the last two terms considered LCT? What if the cost evens out to being less than $40 per term over three terms?
A new copy of the text/materials for my course is over $40, but a used and/or rental option is less than $40. Does that qualify my course for LCT designation?
My required textbook is less than $40 but there are additional costs associated with my course that vary based on the student's choice. These variable costs could make the overall cost of the course materials exceed $40. Does my course count as low-cost?
Materials/texts for my course are “recommended” but not “required” – are we just looking at the “required” costs?
What about the pedagogical impact of students selecting courses based on economics rather than best teaching practices?
What about courses with a lecture section and a lab section? If the lab doesn’t require anything, do we designate just the lab as LCT?
If students can sign up for the lab without the lecture course, then it can qualify for the LCT designation. But, if the lecture is a “pre req” or “co req” and the text is more than $40, it is not an LCT course. Labs taken in conjunction with theory courses are to be included in the theory course designation.
CCC empowers students to lower their out-of-pocket education costs by clearly identifying, at the time of course registration, courses with low-cost course materials. Low-cost courses are identified as such, in the CCC printed and online course schedules, by the following symbol: LCT.
Printed course schedule disclaimer: Clackamas Community College makes every effort to be sure the low-cost courses identified in this printed schedule are accurate at the time of publication. However, please review the online schedule or contact the course instructor for the most up-to-date information on textbook & material costs.
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