The B.C. government is offering free online textbooks for post-secondary students who are taking the 40 most popular courses. Advanced Education Minister John Yap says up to 200,000 students could save money next year. "This new approach — open learning, free online textbooks — will help
reduce the costs and help make education more affordable," he said. The province will work with post-secondary institutions to implement
the open textbook policy, with a plan to have the textbooks online as
early as next year. The province estimates students spend $900 to $1,500 each year on
textbooks. The online textbooks will be free to view and can be printed
for a fraction of the price of traditional texts. Yap says B.C. is leading Canada in
delivering free, open textbooks, and joins several other international
jurisdictions in taking a leadership role in putting technology to work
for students. He estimates the program will cost taxpayers $600,000 to $1 million each year.
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