This week is national open access week. The purpose is to encourage professors at universities across the country to use articles, textbooks, case studies and other course materials that are in the public domain.

Students are paying a ridiculous large sum for textbooks. The average student pays for at least one textbook that exceeds $100 per semester – sometimes for several courses in one semester. This doesn’t take into account the nursing and law students that spend thousands of dollars on books and mandatory course materials each semester.

College is expensive already and tuition is rising. It’s appreciated when professors find alternatives for course materials because, for most students, the biggest dread at the beginning of the semester is looking up course materials and the prices attached to them.

Most students would probably agree that free course books provided by the professor through D2L would be preferred as opposed to paying hundreds of dollars for textbooks.

According to collegetuitioncompare.com, the predicted cost on books and supplies a year is $1,000. Shockingly, the website lists Kansas State University as the cheapest textbook price for a state university at $866. Wichita State University has the highest at $1,250 a year.

These textbook estimates may not seem high to some but when you imagine this amount being tacked on to tuition, you can see why students are struggling to pay for college.

According to nitrocollege.com, the current student loan debt is over $1.5 trillion. Although textbooks are only a small percentage of the costs of higher education, dropping that expense could pay for a class.

Here at Student Media, we ask that professors utilize open access week and the resources at Mabee Library. We appreciate professors who are transitioning away from costly textbooks.

Edited by Adam White, Wesley Tabor, Jessica Galvin