Open Textbook Pilot Program

The Open Textbook Pilot Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. This program is designed to support the creation and expansion of open textbooks and course materials that reduce costs for students enrolled in higher education. The initiative focuses particularly on high-enrollment courses within degree-granting programs, where textbook costs can be a significant barrier. The program also emphasizes long-term sustainability and scalability of open educational resources to maximize student savings nationwide. The primary objective of the program is to fund collaborative projects that develop openly licensed textbooks and related instructional materials. These materials must be freely accessible, adaptable, and distributable, ensuring that institutions can reuse and modify them. Projects are expected to demonstrate measurable cost savings for students while maintaining academic rigor and alignment with workforce needs. The program also encourages the integration of artificial intelligence tools to improve content creation, accessibility, and continuous updates, as well as the inclusion of foundational academic texts to enhance educational quality. Funding under this program is provided through discretionary grants with an estimated total funding pool of $7,000,000. Individual awards are expected to range from $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 over a four-year project period, with an average award size of approximately $1,750,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Funds may be used for activities such as developing open textbooks, creating ancillary learning materials, implementing faculty training, and disseminating project outcomes. All materials developed must comply with accessibility standards and be licensed for free public use. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, consortia of such institutions, and other public or private nonprofit organizations and agencies. Applicants are required to form a consortium that includes at least three higher education institutions along with relevant workforce stakeholders or industry partners. This collaborative structure is central to meeting program priorities, which include improving dissemination, addressing gaps in the open textbook marketplace, and promoting student success through measurable outcomes. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov following federal registration requirements, including active registration in SAM.gov. Required components include standard federal forms, a project narrative, budget narrative, abstract, and supporting documentation such as letters of support and proof of nonprofit status if applicable. The application deadline is June 23, 2026, and applicants are advised to submit well in advance of the deadline to avoid technical issues. An intergovernmental review deadline follows on August 24, 2026. Proposals are evaluated based on criteria including the demonstrated need for the project, quality of design, adequacy of resources, management plan, and evaluation strategy. Additional points may be awarded for addressing competitive priorities such as the use of artificial intelligence in education. Funded projects are required to track and report performance metrics, including student enrollment, completion rates, cost savings, and adoption rates of developed materials. The program has a maximum project period of 48 months, during which grantees must implement, evaluate, and disseminate their work. Successful applicants will be expected to demonstrate measurable improvements in student outcomes and cost reductions. For additional information, applicants may contact Robin Dabney via email at OTP@ed.gov or by phone at (202) 453-7908.

Emphasize measurable student cost savings strong consortium partnerships alignment with workforce needs and clear evaluation metrics