Saving students money on textbooks is one important way we are making it more affordable for students to get a great education through college and technical school. I challenged Colorado colleges and universities to find ways for courses, and even entire degrees, to provide textbooks at zero cost to students, and today, Colorado has over 2,000 courses with zero textbook cost, and nearly 20 full degrees with zero textbook costs. We’ve already saved students over $77 million - and counting! The 2026 Zero Textbook Cost Challenge Awards honor the educators, institutions, and innovators who are leading these efforts to save students money while getting a high-quality education. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients and thank you to the Colorado Department of Higher Education, the OER Council, and educators across the state for helping reduce costs and create more opportunity for Colorado students.