Dual enrollment is expanding rapidly, but textbook costs remain a hidden barrier that limits who can participate and which courses are offered. In many states, responsibility for these costs is unclear, creating uneven access for students and programs.
Open Educational Resources (OER) offer a powerful opportunity to close this gap by eliminating textbook costs and enabling more flexible, relevant learning experiences. Yet adoption in dual enrollment remains uneven, shaped by policy, partnerships, and faculty support.
This session shares findings from multi-state research led by MHEC and SREB, bringing together policy analysis and practitioner perspectives. Featuring both researchers and educators, we will explore how OER can bridge the gap between access and opportunity in dual enrollment.
Participants will leave with practical strategies to support adoption, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and expand access to college coursework for all learners.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Understand how textbook costs impact access to dual enrollment and how OER can reduce these barriers.
- Analyze how policy and funding structures influence OER adoption in dual enrollment programs.
- Identify practical strategies to support faculty adoption of OER across K–12 and higher education partnerships.
- Explore approaches for aligning OER with dual enrollment curriculum, quality expectations, and student needs.
- Apply actionable ideas to expand equitable access to dual enrollment through OER in their own institutional or program context.
