Does the University of the Cumberlands Provide Free Textbooks?

Updated

Yes. The University of the Cumberlands states that all students get free textbooks as part of its One Price Promise, and it markets this under a "Free Textbook Program." The benefit applies across the institution's student groups — the site lists books among the included items for on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, graduate, and executive students alike. The practical effect is that course materials are covered by tuition rather than billed as a separate out-of-pocket purchase, so the cost you see is meant to be the cost you pay for books.

What the One Price Promise covers

Cumberlands frames its tuition as all-inclusive: "What's included in your tuition? Everything." The items the site lists as included vary slightly by student type, but books appear in every category.

Student type Included items listed by the university Stated price
On-campus undergraduate Tuition, parking fees, academic resources, dining, housing, laundry, counseling services, student health, books, library access, technology fees $19,175 or less (without housing $9,875)
Online undergraduate Tuition, technology fees, academic resources, library access, counseling services, fees, books $220 per credit hour
Graduate Tuition, technology fees, academic resources, library access, counseling services, fees, books $355 per credit hour (average program cost)
Executive Tuition, technology fees, academic resources, library access, counseling services, fees, books $549 per credit hour; doctoral $749 per credit hour

Two things are worth reading carefully in that table. First, the on-campus figure is presented as a total with a separate "without housing" number, so the housing and dining lines are part of what that price buys rather than add-ons. Second, the graduate and executive figures are labeled as averages or per-credit rates, which means your actual total depends on how many credit hours your program requires.

Why "free" textbooks still means checking your program

The textbooks are free in the sense that they are not a separate charge — they are bundled into the One Price Promise. That distinction matters for two reasons:

  • The cost is real, just not itemized. You are not paying a bookstore bill, but the materials are funded through tuition. Comparing Cumberlands to a school with low tuition plus separate book costs means comparing total cost, not sticker tuition alone.
  • Coverage is described at the institutional level. The site says all students get free textbooks, but it does not itemize which titles, formats, or delivery methods are covered for each program. If a specific course requires something outside the standard arrangement, that is a question for the program, not something the homepage answers.

How to confirm it for your situation

  1. Identify your student type — on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, graduate, or executive — because the included-items list and pricing differ by category.
  2. Check the price line for that category on the university's One Price Promise section and note whether it is a total, an average, or a per-credit rate.
  3. Multiply per-credit rates by your program's required credit hours to estimate your actual tuition, since the site gives rates rather than program totals for graduate and executive study.
  4. Ask the admissions or program office directly how textbook delivery works for your specific courses if you need certainty before enrolling.

The bottom line: textbooks are included, not billed separately, and that is a genuine reduction in out-of-pocket costs beyond tuition — but the size of the benefit depends on your program and how many credits you take.