Students cut college costs with open-source, electronic textbooks

College students switching from printed textbooks to “open-source” materials may see thinner backpacks and fatter wallets, according to the New York Times.

The study of five universities in the U.S. currently using open-source texts by The Student Public Interest Research Groups found an average savings of $128 per course. That’s about 10 percent of the College Board’s estimated cost for books and supplies per student per academic year.

The open creative license associated with these textbooks keeps costs low – sometimes free – to students, while professors can customize content to meet the needs of their individual lesson plans.

Read more from the New York Times.