Through the Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative, UCCS is receiving funds to ease the cost of classroom materials and books for students in two programs.
As part of the 2026-2027 Collaborative OER Grants, UCCS is receiving almost $75,000 in funds towards nursing materials for the expansion of the Colorado OER Anatomy Hub, a project that provides free digital anatomical models that can be affordably printed in 3D for use in science and healthcare classrooms. UCCS will also receive $20,000 for developing an Open Educational Resource for an Introductory Aerospace Engineering Course.
Open Educational Resources are freely available online teaching and learning materials accessible to students, instructors and self-learners. OER textbooks and other learning resources are openly licensed, typically under a Creative Commons License(opens in new window), with the ability for instructors and students to freely retain copies, re-use, revise, remix and share. OER are free, no-cost materials. OER offers provides materials the first day of class, access into the future after the course ends, and the most affordable cost for students of $0.
About the OER Grant Program
The Colorado OER Grant Program funds the adoption and development of open educational resources at institutions across the state. The OER grant program launched in 2018 with three years of funding from H.B. 18-1331, and then the program was expanded an additional five years through S.B. 21-215. The OER adopted, adapted, or created in the first six cycles of the grant program has saved Colorado students over $59.7 million in textbook costs to date. The cumulative cost savings for the first six years of the grant program are projected to surpass $75 million in spring 2026. Learn more about the impact of the Colorado OER Grant Program in the 2025 Open Educational Resources Report.