Intent
Established in 2018, the OER Grant Program is a competitive program that provides grants to Texas public institutions of higher education to adopt, modify, redesign, or develop courses using only OER. The authority for the OER Grant Program is found in the General Appropriations Act, House Bill (H.B.) 1, Article III, Section 44, 88th Legislative Session Regular Session. THECB’s implementing regulations are found in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Title 19, Part 1, Section 4.230 through 4.238.
An Open Educational Resource (OER) is a teaching, learning, or research resource that is in the public domain or has been released under an intellectual property license that permits the free use, adaptation, and redistribution of the resource by any person.
Eligibility
The 2025 – 2027 grant cycle is open to Texas public institutions of higher education, with faculty leading the work.
How to Apply
Application Closed.
Application Information
This is a second RFA for the 2025 – 2027 grant cycle. This specific Request for Applications (RFA) solicits applications from Texas public institutions of higher education to adopt, modify, redesign, or develop courses from the Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) that use only OER, with priority for courses that are taught in support of Community College Finance Program FY26-FY27 High-Demand Fields. The number of Development and Development & Collaborator grants awarded will be contingent upon the amount of appropriation available, and the evaluation of applications by qualified reviewers. The grant period will begin upon execution of a Notice of Grant Award and end on August 31, 2027.
THECB expects to award two categories of grant awards:
A maximum of $50,000 to Texas institutions of higher education to develop new or substantially improve existing OER for one or more courses as detailed in section 3.2 of this RFA. Application should also include a plan for including additional faculty as peer reviewers. The maximum amount may be increased by an amount not to exceed $40,000 for applications that propose subcontracting or subawarding for content development technical assistance for a total maximum grant award amount not to exceed $90,000.
Development & Collaborator Grants
A maximum of $75,000 to Texas institutions of higher education to develop new or substantially improve existing OER for one or more courses as detailed in section 3.2 of this RFA. Cross-institutional collaboration is required for Development & Collaborator grants and application should also include a plan for including faculty from at least one other Texas public institution as collaborators and peer reviewers. The maximum amount may be increased by an amount not to exceed $40,000 for applications that propose subcontracting or subawarding for content development technical assistance for a total maximum grant award amount not to exceed $115,000.
Important Dates
Jun. 18, 2025
OERGP WECM Inquiry Deadline
Jun. 25, 2025
OERGP WECM Application Due Date
August 2025
OERGP WECM Grant Award Announcements
Aug. 31, 2027
End of 2025 - 2027 grant cycle
Rules and Regulations
The authority for the OER Grant Program is found in the General Appropriations Act, House Bill (H.B.) 1, Article III, Section 44, 88th Legislative Session Regular Session. THECB’s implementing regulations are found in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Title 19, Part 1, Section 4.230 through 4.238.
Impact
The 85th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 810, which added Section 61.0668, Texas Education Code, to “encourage faculty at institutions of higher education to adopt, modify, redesign, or develop courses that use only open educational resources.” With stakeholder input through negotiated rulemaking, THECB proposed amendments to Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter O, concerning the OERGP. The proposed amendments removed the undue burden of grant administration for individual faculty members by having public IHE serve as eligible applicants for the OERGP. The new rules were adopted by the THECB Board on October 27, 2022.
The annual OER Grant Program Legislative Report contains historical information about the program, including impact on students.
Grant Cycle
Applications for RFA 02061 – Workforce Development and Development & Collaborator Grants are closed.
Copies of the OERGP 2025 RFA 02061 – Workforce Development and Development & Collaborator Grants and supporting information can be found below: