WATERVILLE — In an effort to bring awareness of cost savings for students through open educational resources, the New England Board of Higher Education has selected Thomas College to receive an Open Education Course Marking Grant.

This new 15-month initiative will support institutions in the expansion of student awareness and use of no-cost learning materials. Thomas College is one of only four institutions in New England to receive the award.

The grant was received from the New England Board of Higher Education through funding made available from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, according to a news release from MacKenzie Young, director of marketing and communications at the college.

Thomas College will implement a course designation beginning during student registration in the spring 2024 term that identifies courses using open educational resources and other no-cost materials such as library-licensed content.

Thomas College received a grant in 2018 from the Davis Educational Foundation to pilot the redesign of 30 courses over three years to save students money on textbook costs — often a significant barrier to student success. Since then, courses designed with open educational resources have saved Thomas College students more than $160,000.

Thirty-eight percent of Thomas College students are eligible for Federal Pell Grants, and 48% are first-generation college students, making these cost savings crucial for the population the college serves.

This grant will allow Thomas College to help more students have more access to education and remove a key cost barrier to their academic success.

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