Definition of Textbooks Under The Textbook Loan Program

A. For the purposes of the textbook loan program and for claiming Textbook Aid, a textbook is any book or book substitute which a pupil is required to use as a text or a text substitute in a particular class or programas a primary source of study material intended to implement a major part of a State or local curriculum. Any such textbook which has been approved by any school board in New York State may be requested for loan. Specific types of textbooks under this definition are:
	hard-covered books; 	paperback books;
	courseware or other content-based instructional materials in electronic format 	workbooks designed to be written in and used up;
	manuals; and
	newspapers or news magazines which have a general circulation, are printed and distributed at least biweekly, have a paid circulation within the school district, are entered with the U.S. Postal Service as second-class matter, are available to schools on the date of publication at a discount of not less than 33 1/3 percent from the regular price, and are accompanied by study guides on a regular basis from the publisher at no extra charge to the school district.
	If used as textbooks, reproductions of downloaded NYS Common Core ELA/Literacy and Mathematics Curriculum Modules.
B. Examples of materials that do not satisfy the definition of textbooks under the textbook loan program and may not be claimed for Textbook Aid are:
	reference materials such as encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases and general or special dictionaries, except that dictionaries individually assigned to all pupils in a particular class or program as a textbook substitute are considered as textbooks;
	supplementary textbooks, novels, fiction, magazines, newspapers, except as provided above, and audiovisual materials normally housed in the school library or instructional materials center for short-term use by pupils;
	tests and testing materials;
	teachers' editions of textbooks; 	review books;
	materials in kit form; and
	books or materials advocating or supporting a religious belief. 	internet on-line services