SAN ANTONIO – Two San Antonio-area institutions of higher education are preparing to be the beneficiaries of state grant money geared toward the expansion of free educational resources for students.
Alamo Colleges District and Texas State University are two of nine schools statewide that will receive a combined $2.025 million in an effort to “support free, open educational resources for students in nursing and workforce training programs,” according to a Monday news release from Gov. Greg Abbott’s Office.
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“Texas schools offer a competitive education for a variety of high-demand careers,” Abbott said in the release. “As we strengthen our workforce in nursing, cybersecurity, electrical technology, and business, it is critical that students have access to the resources they need to succeed in their chosen field. These grants will expand access to free learning materials to make education more affordable for Texans.”
The governor’s office said the grants are made possible through the state’s Open Educational Resources Grant Program (OERGP), which allows for schools “to create and adopt” textbooks and other learning materials for students’ use.
Alamo Colleges District and Texas State will each receive $285,000 worth of grants between 2026 and 2028. The other seven Texas institutions receiving funding are:
- Collin County Community College District ($285,000)
- El Paso County Community College District ($285,000)
- Lamar Institute of Technology ($285,000)
- Lee College ($285,000)
- North Central Texas College ($285,000)
- Texas A&M University-Kingsville ($15,000)
- West Texas A&M University ($15,000)
“As every college student knows, the cost of textbooks and supplies can put a dent in their bank account,” Texas Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser said in the news release. “The OER grant program has reduced those costs for thousands of Texas students through the continual expansion of the OERTX online library of free textbooks and course materials.”
Impact at Alamo Colleges District
In a statement to KSAT, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores said the grant will have a large effect on the school’s “business management courses.”
“The Alamo Colleges District is grateful to Governor Abbott and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for this $285,000 investment in open educational resources. This grant builds on the impact of our AlamoBOOKS+ initiative by helping us develop free, high-quality course materials for five high-enrollment business management courses. Business management is an important workforce program that prepares students with skills aligned to high-wage, in-demand occupations across Texas.
“By replacing commercial textbooks and course materials with openly licensed resources, the project is expected to save students approximately $419,000 annually while giving them access to course materials at no cost from the first day of class. This investment will help remove financial barriers for students while strengthening pathways from higher education to the Texas workforce.”
Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores
Texas State University officials said they received KSAT’s request for comment Monday. As of Monday night, a formal response had not been sent to KSAT.
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