Open Educational Resources

When your department chair asks you which code applies to your course, use the graphic above and the definitions below to help you make a determination. Only ONE code can be applied per course.

• A: Section has no associated course material
  • What this means: The course section does NOT require students to purchase course materials. It has no textbooks nor does it require other materials that students need to purchase.
• Y: Section does not meet no-cost or low-cost course material criteria
  • What this means: The course section DOES require students to purchase course materials AND these materials will add up to $50 or more. It uses textbooks or other materials that students will need to purchase. For example: traditional textbooks, calculators, remote attendance platforms, and software subscriptions.
• C: Section has course material costs none of which are passed on to students
  • What this means: The course section does NOT require students to pay for materials. Instead, materials (i.e. library resources like e-books or database articles OR physical book class sets) are purchased in some other way (grants, lottery funds, etc).
• D: Section has low course material costs
  • What this means: The course section uses textbooks or other materials that students will need to purchase. However, those costs are kept below $50. 
• E: Section uses only no-cost, OER course material
  • What this means: The course section does NOT require students to pay for materials. There are no material costs AND the course uses Open Educational Resources only.
• F: Section uses only no-cost digital instructional material that does not meet OER guidelines
  • What this means: The course section does NOT require students to pay for materials. There are no material costs and the course uses reading materials that are not OER but ARE freely available.
• G: Section uses a mix of no-cost OER and other cost bearing resources, but no costs are passed to the student
  • What this means: The course section does NOT require students to pay for materials. The course uses a mix of OER and materials that bear cost to the institution but not to students.

If you're still not sure which code you should be using for your course, try using this chatbot to help you:

XB12 Code helper, ELAC version

Alternatively, use this QR code for access:

Why do institutions have to mark courses using these codes? The state of California has passed legislation which requires it. The CCCCO has been tasked with figuring out a way to collect information about course materials to report back to the state. This is where XB-12 comes in. The legislation is as follows:

• CA Senate Bill 1359 (2018), “Clearly highlight, by… symbol or logo …courses that exclusively use digital course materials.. free of charge may have a low-cost option for print versions.”
• AB 607 (Kalra and Cervantes, 2023) modifies this law, adding that colleges must  “Prominently display, by means that may include a link to a separate internet web page, the estimated costs for each course of all required course materials and fees directly related to those materials…” Also, “Course materials” as used in this paragraph includes digital or physical textbooks, devices such as calculators and remote attendance platforms, and software subscriptions.”
  • As of Fall 2024: CCCCO requires all district & colleges to report the cost of course materials for each class section via the XB12 data element to comply with the requirements of AB607 (Kalra).

In addition to the above course marking legislation, new title 5 regulation 5, § 54221 Burden-Free Access to Instructional Materials, was chaptered on July 1, 2025, and became effective July 30, 2025. The deadline for implementation is Jan. 26, 2026. This new regulation requires local governing boards to “adopt policies that ensure student access to textbooks and supplemental materials that are needed on the first day of class” and emphasizes the use of OER.