Announcing the 2026 Zero Textbook Cost Grant cohort
By Melissa Moreau, Scholarly Communications Librarian
In response to the growing cost of course materials, the University of Cincinnati Libraries (UCL) opened applications for the first cycle of its Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Grant Program in March 2026. Available to all UC instructors, the aim of the program is to incentivize and support the replacement of commercial course materials with either open educational resources (OER) or library resources. By eliminating textbook costs, these options offer more than affordability. They support an equitable learning environment by ensuring that all students in ZTC classes have access to the materials they need to succeed. Reflecting the aims of the recently launched Bearcat Affordability Grant and the Bearcat Promise, the program is part of UC Libraries’ Strategic Direction to Support Our Students.
The library is excited to announce that its first grant cohort has been selected, distributing over $50,000 in grants to 33 UC faculty members. Recipients include instructors from 17 different departments in eight different colleges across UC’s Blue Ash, Claremont and Uptown campuses. The contributions of the 2026 grant cohort are expected to save UC students an estimated 1.1 million dollars in textbook costs in 2027 alone. Congratulations to the 2026 recipients:
- A. Page Beetem, Clermont
- Abeer Alhaj Ali, Nursing
- Amber Irwin, Nursing
- Beth Willman, Lindner College of Business
- Bogdan Leu, Blue Ash
- Christina (Jeongah) Shin, Lindner College of Business
- Christine Ouma, Blue Ash
- Danielle M. Pierre Hixon, Allied Health
- Dean A Stocker, Blue Ash
- Peyton Stensland, Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services
- Emma Fletcher, Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services
- George Richardson, Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services
- Gregory Sojka, Clermont College
- Jenna Beck, Clermont College
- Jody Ballah, Blue Ash
- Joseph Gallagher, Blue Ash
- Kathleen Bryan, Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services
- Kimberly Busdieker, Lindner College of Business
- Kimberly Johnson, Nursing
- Kristina Shin, Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning
- Lori Catalano, Nursing
- Lukasz Szatkowski, Arts & Sciences
- Marie Leist-Smith, Nursing
- Mary Anne Refaei, Blue Ash
- Misty Bauer, Nursing
- Nicole Carver, Blue Ash
- Rebecca C. Lee, Nursing
- Taylor Wadian, Blue Ash
- Terri Pelley, Arts & Sciences
- Tianyu Jiang, Arts & Sciences
- Trevor Presgrave, Blue Ash
- Whitney Bowen, Blue Ash
- Zoe Waldman, Arts & Sciences
The program was fortunate to benefit from the enthusiastic efforts of three UC students this year who represented the grant as a part of the Honors College’s Student Philanthropy Studio. Thank you to Anika Itikalapati, Ellie Thompson and Kevashea Wright, for helping the library to expand the impact of this program and for giving a voice to students in the campus conversation around textbook affordability.
