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Affordability
- "One particular college expense that is rising rapidly, and far-outpacing inflation, is the price of textbooks. From 2006 to 2016, textbook costs rose 87.5% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2006) and in 2017, it was reported that students spent an average of $1,260 on textbooks and supplies per year (The College Board, 2017)." ~Frontiers in Education Open Educational Resources as a Tool for Educational Equity: Evidence From an Introductory Psychology Class
- "In a 2017 survey of 2,441 students at 12 participating colleges, 41% of students reported that OER courses would have a significant impact on their ability to afford college (see Figure 10). This was particularly true for students from underrepresented minorities or working students," with Pell grant recipients at 48% and underrepresent minorities 52%. ~ OER at Scale: The Academic and Economic Outcomes of Achieving the Dream’s OER Degree Initiative (PDF)
- "Reduced financial barriers may serve to increase students’ academic progress, as 28% of students surveyed reported that they would use the money they saved with OER to take additional courses, and 12% said they had withdrawn from a course because they could not afford the required materials." ~ OER at Scale: The Academic and Economic Outcomes of Achieving the Dream’s OER Degree Initiative (PDF)
- "Fifty-three percent of students said they had not purchased required materials for a course, and the most frequent reason was cost. Students who work more hours (more than 20 hours per week versus less than 20 hours per week) were significantly more likely to report not purchasing required materials due to costs." ~ OER at Scale: The Academic and Economic Outcomes of Achieving the Dream’s OER Degree Initiative (PDF)
- "Drawing upon more than 700 undergraduate surveys, our results confirmed textbook costs to be a substantial barrier for the vast majority of students. Yet those barriers were even more significant among historically underserved college students; thus, confirming textbook affordability as a redistributive justice issue." ~ Textbook Br extbook Broke: Textbook Affor extbook Affordability as a Social Justice Issue dability as a Social Justice Issue (PDF)
- "Three major areas emerged from participant responses about how they used the money: reinvesting in education, day-to-day expenses, and savings. Of the 206 responses, 87 students (42.2%) said they reinvested in their education, 63 students (30.5%) indicated they applied it towards daily expenses, and 42 students (20.3%) said they saved the money." ~ Assessing the Savings from Open Educational Resources on Student Academic Goals (PDF)
- "A student who self-identified as a single mother said, 'I am trying to better myself...I was able to put the funds to another class...to take three classes instead of two.'" ~ Assessing the Savings from Open Educational Resources on Student Academic Goals (PDF)
- "One student was 'able to afford the textbooks I needed for other classes, as well as was able to take the money I would have spent on a textbook for this class and save it to pay for another class next semester.'" ~ Assessing the Savings from Open Educational Resources on Student Academic Goals (PDF)
- "Day-to-day expenses was the next highest cited area. Many of the 63 responses in this category included various elements, resulting in these comments receiving multiple codes. More than half (51%) of these responses clustered around the necessities of buying groceries and paying bills. One student reported, 'It gave me more money for bills and food, my basic needs.'" ~ Assessing the Savings from Open Educational Resources on Student Academic Goals (PDF)
