Grants – West Virginia's Climb

Summer 2026 OER Grants

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) and the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia (CTCS) is awarding Open Learning WV Summer 2026 “From Learning to Earning” Campus Engagement Grants to support institutions in expanding the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), open pedagogy, and other no-cost teaching and learning approaches.

These grants support projects that engage faculty, librarians, instructional designers, and academic leaders in professional learning and collaborative activities designed to advance affordability, access, student engagement, and innovative teaching practices. Funded projects explore, adopt, create, adapt, or expand the use of OER and open teaching strategies across programs and disciplines.

Priority is given to projects that support workforce, technical, and career-focused programs, particularly in high-demand fields such as health care, advanced manufacturing, information technology, energy, and related disciplines where students often face additional costs for textbooks, lab materials, or certification-related resources.

Projects that intentionally integrate and strengthen essential (durable) skills, including communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, and digital literacy are also prioritized as part of preparing students for success in education, careers, and lifelong learning.

Funding projects include:

BridgeValley Community and Technical College

ForgeWV: Open Welding Pathways

This project will bring together the Dean of Workforce, welding faculty, library and instructional design support, and administrative staff to redesign key Welding Technology courses using Open Educational Resources (OER) and other no-cost materials. Focused on various welding courses, the initiative will integrate accessible and affordable learning materials directly into D2L, including readings, multimedia resources, assessments, and lab support content. The project will reduce student costs, expand access to ADA-accessible materials, and create reusable course templates that can be updated and shared statewide through future Open Learning WV activities.

Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College

Learning to Earning at Eastern: An Openly Licensed Textbook for IMS 211 Energy Systems I and an Employer-Validated Workforce Skills Inventory for the Mettler Packaging Apprenticeship Pathway.

This project will expand OER within advanced manufacturing and energy pathways connected to Eastern’s new Mettler Packaging A.A.S. degree and apprenticeship program by developing an openly licensed textbook and supporting materials for an energy systems course. The initiative will also create a Workforce Skills Inventory based on regional employer input to support future microcredentials while helping reduce textbook and course material costs for students.

WVU Tech

Developing No-Cost, Workforce-Aligned Course Materials for CMGT 425: Residential Construction

This project will develop and implement no-cost instructional materials and experiential learning activities for CMGT 425: Residential Construction as part of WVU Tech’s broader effort to transition the Construction Management program to low- and no-cost course materials. The initiative will strengthen workforce-focused learning through a partnership with the Academy of Careers and Technology (ACT), providing students with applied construction experiences while supporting statewide efforts to address workforce shortages in the construction industry and reduce educational costs for students.

Fairmont State University

Falcons Supporting Open and Affordable Resources (Falcons SOAR)

This college-wide initiative will expand access to affordable, accessible, and high-quality learning materials through faculty-librarian partnerships focused on adopting, adapting, and creating Open Educational Resources (OER) in high-impact courses across multiple disciplines. By targeting core curriculum, dual enrollment, and other high-cost courses, the project will reduce barriers related to affordability and student success while strengthening essential workforce-relevant skills such as communication, critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, teamwork, cultural awareness, and digital literacy. The initiative will also build long-term institutional capacity for OER through faculty collaboration, librarian training, and expanded support for open and affordable educational practices.

Mountwest Community and Technical College

Open Books and Minds

This cross-disciplinary initiative will expand the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) by supporting faculty training, mentorship, and collaboration focused on creating more affordable and accessible learning materials for students. The project will establish faculty mentors, host OER trainings and showcases, create an OER Resource Center, and transition high-demand courses within the Information Technology and Pre-Nursing pathways to no-cost materials, helping reduce financial barriers while improving student access, retention, and success.

Open Learning WV Challenge Grants & Campus Engagement Grants

In 2025, we awarded $250,000 in Open Learning WV Challenge Grants to 10 faculty-led projects across nine colleges and universities. The goal: to make learning more affordable and accessible for every student in West Virginia. Seven of these were focused on dual enrollment/Level Up p giving high school students the opportunity to earn college credit without the added cost of textbooks:

In summer 2026, we awarded $40,500 in Open Learning WV Summer 2026 “From Learning to Earning” Campus Engagement Grants. Five projects were funded to support OER development in workforce, technical, and career-focused programs, particularly in high-demand fields such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, information technology, energy, and related disciplines where students often face additional costs for textbooks, lab materials, or certification-related resources.

About OER Grants

Since 2021, Open Learning WV has helped West Virginia colleges and universities save students nearly $10 million through the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) and other no-cost learning materials. Through an estimated $674,400 in grant funding, the initiative has supported faculty, librarians, instructional designers, and academic leaders at every public institution in the state. This investment includes 558 Regular OER Grants totaling $558,000, 34 BRIDGE Grants totaling $82,400, and 20 Dual Enrollment/LevelUp Grants totaling $20,000.

These grants have supported more than 300 faculty members and helped transition nearly 600 courses to OER and other affordable learning materials, reducing costs while expanding access to high-quality educational resources. The return on investment has been substantial: for every $1 invested through Open Learning WV grants, students have realized nearly $15 in savings.

The impact extends far beyond affordability. Approximately 6,000 West Virginia students have shared their experiences through Open Learning WV surveys. Nearly 67% reported that textbook costs are too high, while 72% indicated spending between $100 and $500 per semester on course materials. More than four out of five students said that not having to purchase a textbook is important to them, and 78.1% expressed a preference for low-cost or free online materials.

Students have also reported positive experiences with OER. Nearly 96% indicated that open materials were the same quality as or better than traditional textbooks, while 94% reported that accessing course material — especially on the first day of class — was easy.

By reducing financial barriers, improving day-one access to learning materials, and supporting innovative teaching practices, Open Learning WV continues to make higher education more affordable, accessible, and student-centered for learners across West Virginia.