Participants will learn about how a partnership between Boise State University (BSU) and the College of Western Idaho (CWI) created low-to-zero course materials cost (Z-degree) pathway for online students. An Online and OER transfer degree reduces barriers to postsecondary access and persistence across the state, including rural learners, aligning directly with the goals of Go On Idaho. CWI currently offers multiple Z-degree pathways. Rather than overhauling high-enrollment programs at BSU that face significant structural and cultural resistance, this initiative follows a “path of least resistance” strategy: prioritizing programs with high OER readiness, high workforce demand, strong online delivery potential, and clear value for transfer students, particularly those in rural communities where cost, distance, and access to materials are persistent challenges. The presentation will cover the processes used to uncover and determine paths at Boise State, and coordination with the existing paths at College of Western Idaho. Agreements between the schools that ease transfers smooth the process. Participants will leave with practical strategies for identifying like-minded collaborators, finding easy wins in transfer pipelines, and advancing statewide access and affordability goals.
