Textbook Affordability

The University of Cincinnati is proud to do all we can to lower costs to students. Aligned with the Ohio Department of Higher Education to reduce the cost of education for college students, UC has developed and shared strategies with other Ohio institutions to improve the learning experience of students all over the state. 

The Office of the Provost finds opportunities in using new technology, open educational resources and the collective buying power of our students to reduce costs, improve delivery, and better serve scholarly needs. Through collaboration with faculty and offices here at UC, we have identified specific, effective practices for finding affordable textbooks. We work to share those practices with our faculty and students to find savings in every possible way.  

When large numbers of students are required to purchase the same materials, and used copies are not available, UC may be able to leverage student buying power, yielding a lower price for everyone.

UC’s Inclusive Access Program - saves students up to 35% by leveraging student buying power and streamlining the purchasing process for students. Students are charged a course fee for these materials and have the materials available on the first day of classes.

Currently, over 400 courses utilize inclusive access saving students over $3M each year.

If a UC student finds a lower price on an identical textbook for rent or purchase locally or online, the UC Bookstores will match the price right at the register. While some restrictions apply, this program is showing great potential in continuing to reduce the cost of course materials to students.

A growing array of articles, books, audio tracks, and other learning materials are available online for free. By visiting UC Libraries Digital Collections, you can find additional resources online such as ACLS Humanities, CRCnetBASE, Ebrary, Gutenberg-e Database, and the Wiley Online Library.

Please contact Debbie Tenofsky for questions about any particular collection.

University of Cincinnati Bookstores’ Rent-A-Text Program provides savings up to 80 percent off the price of new textbooks when rentals are available. The program has declined significantly due to the increased availability of digital offerings. 

Digital course materials are available for students on the Kortext app. By using a single platform, we provide students with a familiar interface for interacting with digital print materials across all their courses and on all of their devices, lessening their learning curve while creating the possibility to search across all materials and notes from a single search field.  

For more information on how to get started with any digital course materials, visit the Knowledge Base.