ZTC Course Reporting & XB12 Coding
ZTC Course Reporting in Banner
Per California Senate Bill 1359, each institution must:
"Clearly highlight, by means that may include a symbol or logo in a conspicuous place on the online campus course schedule, the courses that exclusively use digital course materials that are free of charge to students and may have a low-cost option for print versions."
Currently, ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ uses the following icon in course search to indicate that a course is Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC):

How the ZTC Icon Appears in Course Search

XB12 Codes for Instructional Materials Costs
- XB12 Codes were part of a Senate Bill passed in 2018 and initially implemented in 2022. The XB12 coding system was updated in Fall 2024 with amended codes.
- XB12 requires colleges to label ZTC, OER, & LTC (low textbook cost) courses and indicate the cost of instructional materials in their online course search by using the XB12 coding system
- Courses with instructional materials that cost up to $40.00 are considered Low Textbook Cost (LTC) courses
- XB12 codes should appear in course search in the same place where the ZTC icon is displayed in the following format: XB12-A, XB12-C, XB12-D, XB12-E, XB12-F, XB12-G, XB12-Y


| XB12 Code |
State Chancellor's Office Definition |
Definition from | Examples | Class Schedule Designation |
| A |
Section has no associated course material |
No instructional materials are used, including assigned readings or videos |
|
Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)
|
| C |
Section has course material costs, none of which are passed on to students |
All or some instructional materials have an associated cost, but have been purchased by the college |
|
Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)
|
| D |
Section has low course material costs ($40.00 or less)*
|
All instructional materials have a combined price of $40.00 or less based on the pre-tax retail price of new material at the college bookstore |
|
Low Textbook Cost (LTC/LCT)
|
| E |
Section uses only no-cost, OER course material |
All primary required instructional materials are available under a Creative Commons License (e.g., CC BY, CC BY NC) are freely available online (no AHC login required) |
|
Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)
|
| F |
Section uses only no-cost digital course materials that do not meet OER guidelines |
All primary required instructional materials are freely and legally available to students, but are not openly licensed |
|
Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)
|
| G |
Sections uses a mix of no-cost OER and other cost-bearing resources, but no costs are passed to the student |
A combination of instructional materials that are available under a Creative Commons License (e.g., CC BY, CC-BY-NC) and that were purchased by the college |
|
Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)
|
| Y |
Section does not meet no-cost or low-cost course material criteria |
Instructional materials that have a combined new pre-tax cost of $40.01 or more at the bookstore and are required to successfully complete the course |
|
![]() |
© 2024 by is licensed under and was adapted from by Caroline Hallam, Glendale Community College and XB 12 Data Element Codes & Definitions at GCC by Glendale Community College, both licensed under
*$40.00 or less is currently the AHC Low Textbook Cost (LTC) designation. The Chancellor's Office will officially standardize LTC courses at $30.00 or less (pre-tax retail price) by summer 2027.

