CSU Students and Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$)

How can you find affordable textbooks?

  • Review your syllabus carefully to determine required materials for the course
  • Visit your bookstore website to review their affordable offerings including
    • digital textbook rentals
    • printed textbook rentals
    • used textbooks
  • Learn the advantages to using digital readers because digital materials tend to be less costly

Alternative Textbook Resources

Note you should check your syllabus to verify the alternative content you select will be relevant for your course.


How Can You Become Involved?

CSU Students you have a voice:


How AL$ is Helping Students

CSU Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) enables interested faculty to locate and adopt more affordable, quality educational content for their students. By reducing CSU student course material expenses, more students acquire the course materials they need to succeed and benefit from their CSU learning experience. Now, CSU faculty and students have greater access to quality free and low-cost learning materials through a variety of AL$ programs and partnerships listed above.


CSU Library Resources

Did you know, your CSU library has a wealth of resources and expertise free for students? Your campus library can provide students with access to the highest quality electronic books, online scholarly journal articles, streaming audio and video, and other material for instructional uses -- all at no cost. Your library’s collection of electronic books and journal articles can be especially useful in upper division classes where textbooks are not available to cover the more specialized curriculum.


CSU Campus Bookstore Resources

CSU campus bookstores provide many services including working with course material providers to provide traditional print textbooks, eTextbooks, and other learning material options. Your campus store offers its students and faculty multiple choices whether you are looking for new-used-rental print textbooks, eTextbooks, adaptive courseware or custom publishing resources. CSU campus bookstores have search tools available that assist students in finding the most affordable options available for the course materials they require for their classes.