COLUMBIA, Mo. — Students on the four University of Missouri campuses will soon be paying less for textbooks.
University system President Mun Choi wants to use more open-source learning material written by experts, vetted by their peers and posted for free downloading.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Choi said Wednesday that the goal is to save students money and provide up-to-date materials. Faculty, including graduate assistants, will be eligible for incentive payments of $1,000 to $10,000 for preparing and adopting materials.
Universities and state governments are lining up behind the cause as a way to make college more affordable. Nationally, students pay an average of $1,200 a year for textbooks. The average cost on the Columbia campus is about $540 per year.
