A new American Association of Colleges and Universities report finds that open educational resources’ largest impact may be improved completion rather than cost reduction alone. Using data from a two-year study of 700,000 student records across 15 institutions and interviews with 240 faculty members, the report links free course materials to fewer withdrawals, higher rates of A grades, and faster time to graduation for community college students. The analysis says outcomes depend on implementation quality: customized OER performed better when tailored to the course and student population, but customization is labor intensive for faculty. The report also calls out the role of institutional support, noting that access and equity gains may stall without guidance for faculty adapting materials. The findings reinforce that OER adoption is not a neutral substitution; it often requires changes in course design and teaching practice and benefits from compensation, time, and personnel support such as librarians, accessibility offices, and teaching and learning staff.