Affordable College Textbook Act

Creates a competitive federal grant program to help colleges and consortia develop, adapt, and adopt open textbooks so students spend less on course materials without lowering instructional quality. Grant‑funded materials must be openly licensed, free to access digitally, and accessible for people with disabilities. Grantees must report results, and the Department must report to Congress. Funding is authorized as “such sums as may be necessary.”

Updates college textbook transparency rules so students see key details before they enroll: ISBN (or author/title/publisher/copyright if no ISBN), retail price, any fees, whether a material is an open educational resource, and—if primarily digital—a publisher‑provided summary of what student data are collected and whether students can opt out. Colleges receiving federal aid must help affiliated bookstores get timely course and schedule information. Faculty are encouraged (but not required) to consider open textbooks, and GAO must report to Congress within 3 years on costs and the use of open resources.