On June 4, a $25 million increase was approved for Lone Star College System’s textbook program in order to continue the services through fiscal year 2026-27.
In a nutshell
The maximum amount to be spent to fund LSCS’s textbook program was raised to $79.24 million total, according to June 4 meeting documents. The maximum amount was last increased by $34.24 million to about $54.24 million in December 2024 to cover the program through FY 2025-26.
However, the new textbook program allotment total includes services that have been evolving at the college system since 2023, according to a June 4 presentation from Kristy Vienne, LSCS’ vice chancellor for finance and administration. The current iteration of the program, dubbed the STAR Bundle, officially launched in the fall of 2025 and:
- Automatically provides students with their required textbooks and class materials by the first day of class
- Costs $24 per credit hour enrolled, no matter the actual textbook costs
- Prioritizes digital versions of materials, but allows physical copies to be obtained if preferred
- Saves students an estimated 30% on textbooks per semester
- Allows students to pay for books using financial aid
- Gives students the option to opt out of the program
