Congratulations to our 2026 Affordable Education Champions!
To wrap up Open Education Week 2026, UT Libraries is proud to announce the 2026 Affordable Education Champions. This year, we received a record of 178 nominations and are thrilled that the student body was impacted by their professors in this way.
Affordable Education Champions are instructors who assign free or low-cost resources — like textbooks, websites, films, and more — for their courses. Sometimes instructors author their own materials, and sometimes they’re able to reuse free or low-cost work created by others. This award celebrates faculty who are committed to fostering access to high quality education at the lowest possible cost barrier for their students. There is no set definition for low-cost because we understand that this definition varies by discipline. Students of any level are invited to recognize an instructor they have been impacted by through their use of these low-cost materials.
We are excited to announce that this year’s Affordable Education Champions Are:
Dr. Eman Alasadi, Department of Chemistry
Dr. Rebecca Gavillet, McCombs School of Business
Carley Law, School of Design and Creative Technologies
Dr. Hannah Lewis, Butler School of Music
Dr. Mina Ogando Lavin, College of Liberal Arts
Dr. Ann Thijs, College of Natural Sciences
Many nominees were nominated by multiple students across classes and semesters, showcasing the breadth of their impact. Student nominators also shared personal sentiments about the deep impact their instructor’s choice to use free and low-cost materials had on them. Some quotes from students include:
“With the money I saved in this class, I will be able to put the cost of a textbook towards my study abroad application fee. Biology textbooks typically range from $75 to $100 and exchange study abroad programs are around $75. While UT Austin and exchange tuition are comparable, the cost of plane tickets and excursions can add up and become very expensive. I have been trying to save up as much as possible, and every dollar truly makes a difference. Because of professors like Dr. Thijs, who aims to provide accessible and affordable education, the opportunity to study abroad feels much more attainable and real. Her decision for the course structure she provides opens the doors for my future academic experiences.”
“[Dr. Mina Ogando Lavin’s] commitment to educational technology is just one of the many ways she has adapted to 21st century instructional techniques that reduce the impact of potential financial burdens on students.”
[I] was able to afford more groceries and meals for myself, prioritizing my health and wellbeing.
[I] was able to focus those funds onto other necessities such as cost of living.
Designing a course around free and low-cost materials can represent significant effort on the part of instructors. In many cases, they’ve made the switch from expensive textbooks specifically with the cost of education in mind for their students. We share gratitude and appreciation for their commitment to fostering access to high quality education at the lowest possible cost barrier for their students. UT Libraries extends their gratitude to our Champions! Be on the lookout for individual posts profiling each champion throughout the semester.
Post by Audrey Waite, OER GRA
