College is already expensive enough without the added stress of having to pay for textbooks and other course materials. For many students, the cost of course materials can make the difference between being prepared on the first day of class or falling
behind before the semester even begins. College students are estimated to spend almost $1,300 per year on textbooks and
other materials. A study in Illinois found that more than 80% of students believe textbooks
are overpriced, and nearly half said they had to sacrifice other essentials like food or transportation just to afford them. National reports echo the same concerns, with surveys showing that most students skip at least one required book because of cost, even though they know it might hurt their grades.
This is where Open Educational Resources, or OER, come in, which are part of a larger movement called Open Education. OER are free, openly licensed materials that anyone can use, adapt, and share. They can be
as simple as a chapter reading or as comprehensive as a full textbook. Instead of being locked behind high-priced access codes or bundled with costly extras, OER make learning accessible from the first day of class. That means students don’t have
to choose between buying a book or paying a bill, and faculty don’t have to feel guilty about assigning something they know is out of reach for many.
The impact of OER is more than financial. Research has shown that when students have access to materials without delay, they engage more fully in their courses and are more likely to succeed. At Arkansas Tech University, for example, adopting OER in
first-year courses led to higher retention rates and stronger grades, saving their students tens of thousands of dollars in just one academic year. The Illinois College Course Materials
Affordability and Equitable Access Task Force also noted that community colleges and universities across the state are increasingly turning to OER to improve equity, particularly for low-income and first-generation students.
Still, change doesn’t happen on its own. Faculty are the ones who decide what goes on the syllabus, and many simply aren’t aware of the quality and range of OER already available. This is where administrators, librarians, TRIO coordinators, and student
leaders can make a real difference by raising awareness, sharing success stories, and showing that OER are not only affordable but also flexible and customizable. When instructors see that these materials can be tailored to fit their teaching style
and subject matter, they are far more likely to give them a try.
There are plenty of places to start browsing. The Open Textbook Library, OpenStax, OER Commons, and MERLOT,
all offer high-quality, peer-reviewed materials across a wide range of subjects. The Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources also offers training and resources. The more these sites are
shared with faculty, the more realistic it becomes to replace costly materials with open ones. For those in the Midwest, the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) assists its member states in implementing OER.
Exploring and sharing these resources with administrators, professional development teams, and faculty members in your community will surely further the goal of making college more affordable.
While affordability in higher education won’t be solved overnight, or with a single strategy, OER show that it’s possible to build a system where students aren’t priced out of learning. By making resources free and accessible from the ground up, we can
make college a little less about what students can afford and a lot more about what they can achieve.
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