New research finds that open educational resources’ biggest impact may be on completion rather than cost savings alone. The American Association of Colleges and Universities report examined two years of data across 15 institutions—using 700,000 student records and interviews with 240 faculty—to analyze adoption patterns and student outcomes. The study reports that when courses offered free course materials, course withdrawals fell, the share of A’s increased, and community college students completed programs about a year sooner. It also finds that tailoring OER to specific courses and student populations produced stronger outcomes than relying on default versions. At the same time, the research emphasizes that OER adoption is not a neutral swap of content. It often requires shifts in course design and professional identity, and institutions need to provide faculty support—financial, time, personnel, and accessibility—otherwise equity and success improvements may not materialize.