3. Making room in the budget

California lawmakers in June approved a new budget that dedicates $115 million dedicated to open educational resources. The funding promotes programs in which students do not have to buy textbooks and can instead use OER, and builds on a statewide zero-cost textbook initiative.

Some California colleges are already working toward a goal of moving 100% of classes into open educational resources, though the transition will be a long one: Compton College, a two-year school in Los Angeles County, estimates it’ll hit the 100% mark in 2035.