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
“If you’re starting to look at ‘Well, what is the [textbook] model? What version do I need?’ there’s a lot of pressure,” Vienne said. “And so we get a lot of student feedback as well, that’s like, ‘Even if [the STAR Bundle] was $5 more, it’s still a service to me, because it’s just one less thing that I have to worry about doing or doing correctly.’… It really makes a seamless process.”
The cost
The June 4 funding increase for the textbook program was necessary to provide students with their textbooks and class materials in the upcoming spring semester, Vienne said.
Even though the STAR Bundle prioritizes digital textbooks, program costs can still increase as publishers opt to publish new editions and change course materials, Vienne said.
On April 2, LSCS’ board of trustees approved a $3 increase per credit hour for the STAR Bundle program, bringing the total cost for students to $24 per credit hour, according to April 2 meeting documents.
During the 2025-26 school year, between 92%-94% of LSCS students participated in the STAR Bundle program, according to Vienne’s presentation.
The timeline
Part of the cost included in the $79.24 million in funding comes from previous board action, such as in 2023, when LSCS closed physical campus bookstores and moved to online bookstores, according to Vienne’s presentation. However, by the spring of 2025, some campus bookstores were reopened, also adding to costs.
Additional budget items for the textbook program will need to be considered by trustees for FY 2027-28 to continue the program, Vienne said.