Open-source textbooks could save college students money

[cheap-textbooks]

According to the College Board, the average cost for books and supplies for the 2014-2015 school year was between $1,200 and $1,300. Because of the high costs, some students will wait to buy the books until they can afford them, missing assignments and having to start a course without all of the materials.

The Student Public Interest Research Group did research and found that students could save an average of $128 per course if textbooks were replaced with “open-source” electronic versions.

These open-source books can be downloaded for free or offered at a low cost because they are created under an open license. According to the study, instructors can change the order in which the material appears in the open-source books to follow their individual syllabus.

To find out if using open-source textbooks is an option at a particular college, students should check with the school library.