Can a For-Profit, Venture-Backed Company Keep OER Free—and Be Financially Sustainable? - Sydney Johnson, EdSurge

From 2006 to 2016, the cost of textbooks increased by 88 percent, more than than nearly any other college student expense—including tuition and fees (63 percent) or on-campus housing (51 percent)—according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. New and traditional publishers are trying to offer alternatives such as open educational resources (OER), or freely downloadable and adaptable learning materials. But some providers of OER still ask for fees in return, and that has advocates concerned. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-04-12-can-a-for-profit-venture-backed-company-keep-oer-free-and-be-financially-sustainable