Colorado Springs colleges receive funding to cut textbook costs for students

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado Springs students could soon see significant savings on textbooks as local colleges receive part of a $1 million statewide grant program aimed at reducing educational material costs.

The Colorado Commission on Higher Education approved 28 Open Educational Resources grant proposals on December 8, which will produce no-cost, high-quality learning materials for Colorado students.

Several Colorado Springs schools, including the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak State College and Colorado College, are receiving funding through this initiative.

The grants are expected to save students an average of more than $3 million on textbooks, representing a three-to-one return on the state's investment, according to Governor Jared Polis.

For students like Viet Tran and Osmar Encarnacion at UCCS, the savings could make a real difference.

Both first-year students pay around $9,000 per semester in tuition and are automatically enrolled in the university's "Tapped In" program, which bundles course materials into their tuition costs.

"Like for me, my textbooks and my lab coat, goggles, gloves… all that for my labs," said Tran, describing the materials included in his nursing program package.

For both students, that package totals over $400. The potential savings would help with other expenses.

"It would help a lot having that extra money to be able to afford for housing," said Encarnacion.

Pikes Peak State College received approximately $48,000 through the grant program, according to Christine Gaccetta-Sharp, the college's OER coordinator.

The funding will support 14 courses and help build degree pathways that don't require students to spend money on textbooks.

"Our communications department is almost now exclusively using OER… with this newest grant cycle they'll be completely OER," said Gaccetta-Sharp.

Other courses benefiting from the program include early childhood education, nursing and emergency medical technician programs, among others.

The OER grant program is now in its seventh year and has achieved significant statewide impact. To date, grantees have collaborated to save Colorado students nearly $60 million in textbook costs and transformed more than 2,200 courses to no cost.

The cumulative cost savings for the first six years are projected to surpass $75 million in spring 2026.

"Education should open doors, not close them," said Colorado Department of Higher Education Executive Director Dr. Angie Paccione. "These grants will save students hundreds of dollars on textbooks, expand zero-cost degree programs and ensure that no one is left behind because of the cost of learning materials."

More than half of the current grant funds were awarded to zero textbook cost degree development and collaborative projects.

Governor Polis re-issued the Zero Textbook Cost Challenge in May 2025, and Colorado institutions responded by proposing 11 new ZTC degrees and certificates in this grant cycle.

Currently, 18 ZTC degrees and certificates are in progress, and these new grants will increase that number to 29. Through 36 ZTC degrees total, Colorado students will be able to earn credentials with zero textbook cost.

"It's extremely important that students have this opportunity… because many are first-generation students, and about 50% are financial-aid eligible," said Gaccetta-Sharp.

She encourages students to pay attention to how course materials are charged, whether through programs like Tapped In or other inclusive access systems as these can significantly impact overall school costs.

"Students have a very powerful voice for being able to advocate for OER materials," said Gaccetta-Sharp.

To view the list of awards for each institution click here.

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