Open Educational Resources Grant Program (OERGP)

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.

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. 

THECB expects to award two categories of grant awards under this Request for Applications (RFA): 

• Nursing OER Adoption Grants 
• Workforce OER Collaborator Grants 

Eligibility

The 2026 – 2028 grant cycle is open to Texas public institutions of higher education, with faculty leading the work. 

Any reference to an institution of higher education in this RFA shall have the meaning set for in Sec. 3.2 of this RFA as stated in Texas Education Code § 61.003(8).  

How to Apply

Accepting Applications

To apply for the OER Grant Program, organizations and organization representatives new to the THECB Online Grants Management System are required to create a new user account before initiating a grant application. All submittals must be complete (inclusive of required signatures, acknowledgments, required attachments, etc.) and received by the posted due date. Incomplete and late submittals will not be considered for award.

Application Information

Apply through GMS 

Contingent upon the amount of appropriation available, THECB expects to award up to $3 million for OER Grant Program grants to eligible Applicants in two award categories: Nursing and Workforce. THECB expects to award approximately ten Nursing OER Adoption Grants and ten Workforce OER Collaborator grants for the Grant Period (September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2028) as set forth in Section 2.2 of the RFA. 

Nursing OER Adoption Grants: 

• Up to ten grants of approximately $15,000.00 each may be awarded to eligible Applicants for eligible projects described in Section 3.2 of the RFA. 

Workforce OER Collaborator Grants:  

• Up to ten grants of approximately $285,000.00 each may be awarded to eligible Applicants for eligible projects described in Section 3.2 of the RFA. 

All inquiries should be emailed through OERGP@highered.texas.gov.  Applications must be submitted via the THECB Grants Management System (GMS). 

Important Dates

Rules and Regulations

OER grants are funded through State appropriations, General Appropriations Act, Article III, Rider 39, 89th Legislature, Regular Session. 

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has adopted rules in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter O, §§ 4.230 – 4.238, and the general grant rules found in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 10, Subsection A, §§ 10.1 – 10.8. 

THECB’s implementing regulations are found in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Title 19, Part 1, Section 4.230 through 4.238. 

Impact

Since the launch of the OERGP in 2018, approximately $1.05 million has been distributed across 71 grant awards, impacting more than 33,000 students. As result of the OERGP, students have saved an estimated $3.5 million in textbook costs, representing an average savings of approximately $105 per student.

The annual OER Grant Program Legislative Report contains historical information about the program, including impact on students.

FAQs

Grant Cycle

Additional Notes

Request for Application (RFA) Released on Friday, June 5, 2026: 

• OERGP Request for Applications

OERGP Informational Webinar, June 15, 2026 (12:00 pm CT):

• Registration is required. Register for the Webinar