The constantly increasing price of textbooks has become yet another financial barrier for students accessing post-secondary education. In 2017, Macleans magazine listed both the University of Brandon and University of Manitoba within the top ten most expensive schools in the country for textbook costs; students in Brandon actually paid the most nationally that year, with an average annual price tag of $920.64.

Even worse, new editions are frequently released to prevent the resale of used texts, forcing students to decide between having out-of-date sources or going further in debt.  It’s time for students to work with our faculties and administrations to develop more Open Education Resources (OER) and create accessible digital platforms for students to utilize them free of charge, as is already happening in other parts of Canada.