Open and Affordable Course Content Resources for Students

If you’re a student looking to save money, there are a few ways you might be able to avoid the high cost of textbooks.

Searching for courses based on textbook cost

In the VCU Schedule of Classes, classes can be marked as either no cost materials (free) or low cost materials (>$40).This marking is added to the schedule as an ‘attribute’, which means students can search for or select specific classes which use affordable course materials.

You can find step-by-step instructions on how to find these courses in the video below:

Searching the library for your course materials

VCU Libraries are a great resource to find your course materials. Our materials are freely available to the VCU community and they cover a wide breadth of content, from books to films and a lot in between.

You can find library resources by using the VCU Library Search bar on the library homepage. If you need help with the search process, you can review the Find Books, Articles, and More guide or use the chat feature to get help.

If you need something the library does not have access to, you may also be able to obtain a copy through Interlibrary Loan.