Letter to the Editor: What students should know about OER and why professors should use them | The Lantern

"With all the excitement that accompanies the kickoff of the fall 2018 semester, it is important to consider the thousands of students who will struggle with textbook expenses. According to the Ohio State University Student Financial Aid website, incoming freshmen should budget $1,168 for textbooks and course materials for the upcoming academic year. Some assume if an 18-year-old can afford to attend college, they can afford to pay for textbooks. The stereotypical image of the college student wearing $200 headphones, typing away on a $1,300 laptop, with a $5 cup of Starbucks coffee in hand comes to mind for some proponents of this assumption. The reality is that textbook costs have risen three to four times the inflation rate since 1980, according to a report from U.S. PIRG, an advocacy group for public interest...."