About half of Pell Grant recipients (48 percent) and more than half of underrepresented minorities (52 percent) say the courses will have a significant impact on their ability to afford college, compared to 41 percent for other students.
Institutional strategies for implementation
College officials say that OER supports their priorities of reducing costs, bolstering equity and completion, and speeding time to degree, the report notes. Meanwhile, leaders from ATD report that colleges are using a broad range of strategies to build support for OER on campus, free faculty time, and establish a culture that supports implementation. Institutions are using resources from the OER initiative to incentivize faculty to develop courses and degree pathways and to expand the role of librarians and technologists to support faculty.
“Many institutions are rethinking who they hire and are paying more attention to professional development in pedagogy and effective practice as well as looking at ways to alter tenure and promotion policies to incentivize faculty use of OER,” says Dr. Richard Sebastian, director of the OER Degree Initiative at ATD.
Related: OER adoption spreads in California
To promote sustainability, institutions are reallocating funds to support OER programs, making better use of existing student fees or charging a small course fee to fund ongoing efforts that does not add significantly to student cost. Institutions are also starting to track tuition recapture based on the drop in attrition in many OER courses to better understand the return on investment.
Key findings
Cost savings to students
- Cost savings to students have been calculated more realistically, and OER courses and degree programs can play a significant role in addressing the rising cost of college for students, particularly low-income students enrolled at community colleges.
- Savings from these open courses can help students with financial challenges that might interfere with their ability to continue and succeed in their program of study.
Student perceptions and awareness
- Students find OER materials more relevant, easier to navigate, and better aligned with learning objectives than traditional textbooks, but they are often not aware of the available of these courses and degree programs, suggesting that those who can most benefit may not be taking full advantage.
Cost to institutions
- Costs for implementing OER are significant but not insurmountable. The cost of developing such a course averaged $11,700 (salary and benefits) at the five colleges that were involved in a detailed analysis to determine the cost of courses during the first year of the grant.
- Weak tech could push students, faculty to other institutions - April 13, 2026
- 13 predictions about edtech, innovation, and–yes–AI in 2026 - January 1, 2026
- 5 essential dimensions of AI literacy - December 12, 2025