Nevada Colleges to Require Textbook Cost Transparency

New policy will label classes as no-cost or low-cost to help students budget

Apr. 7, 2026 at 2:25am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a college student's desk, with stacks of textbooks and a laptop partially obscured by pools of warm, golden light, conceptually representing the financial challenges of textbook costs for higher education.Textbook costs can be a significant financial burden for college students, but new transparency measures aim to help them make more affordable choices.Las Vegas Today

The Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents has approved a policy revision that will require colleges to label classes as no-cost or low-cost for textbooks and materials. This change is designed to help students make more affordable choices during registration, as the cost of textbooks can be a major financial burden on top of tuition.

Why it matters

The high cost of textbooks and course materials is a significant barrier to college affordability and student success. This new policy aims to provide much-needed transparency so students can better plan their budgets and avoid dropping out due to unexpected textbook expenses.

The details

Under the revised policy, courses that rely exclusively on no-cost or low-cost required materials will be clearly identified in the course registration system. No-cost instructional materials are defined as those with a total list price of $0, while low-cost materials have a total list price greater than $0 but no more than $40 for all required materials in a single course for one term. Schools are also expanding the use of free, openly licensed materials to replace traditional textbooks.

  • The new course labeling requirements will be implemented in Nevada college registration systems no later than July 1, 2026.

The players

Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE)

The governing body for public higher education institutions in Nevada, which approved the policy revision requiring textbook cost transparency.

Michelle Harrington

A college student in Nevada who has faced significant financial burdens from the high cost of textbooks, which has even led her to drop out of college in the past.

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What they’re saying

“A lot of them, like most semesters per class, I end up having to spend like another like 80 to 100 dollars when it comes to textbooks. So by the end of all of my classes, that's like another like 400 to 500 that I have to spend.”

— Michelle Harrington, College Student

“The student immediately can make a budget-conscious decision. So the transparency is there for the student, which is helping them determine their best Ave. And so the transparency is also that the instructors know that they can use the open educational resources.”

— Terina Caserto, Nevada System of Higher Education

What’s next

Institutions will implement the updated course identification requirements in their registration systems no later than July 1, 2026.

The takeaway

This new policy represents an important step towards improving college affordability in Nevada by empowering students to make more informed choices about the true costs of their education, potentially helping them avoid dropping out due to unexpected textbook expenses.