Durbin Celebrates $61 Million In Federal Funding Secured Over The Course Of Eight Years For His Open Textbook Pilot Program | U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois

"U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the inclusion of $7 million for the Open Textbook Pilot Program in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2026 bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Since 2018 when Durbin helped create the Open Textbook Pilot Program, he has secured $61 million in total federal funding to support college students across the country in accessing textbooks for free and helping lower the cost of an education. Because of this funding, college students at more than 25 schools in 16 states have benefited from the Open Textbook Pilot Program.

“With the rising cost of tuition, many students decline to purchase required textbooks for their coursework due to the outrageous expense. Open textbooks are a proven way to save students money while providing quality instructional materials,” Durbin said. “During my time in the Senate, I’ve fought to secure $61 million in funding for the Open Textbook Pilot Program to ensure that students can access textbooks and get the most out of their college courses.”

The Open Textbooks Pilot, based on Durbin’s Affordable College Textbook Act, is a competitive grant program to support the creation and expand the use of open college textbooks—textbooks that are freely available under an open license, allowing professors, students, researchers, and others to freely access the materials."