Open Educational Resources are anything used in teaching, learning, and research that are free and legal to use. Most importantly, OER are free to students. The Consortium of Community College Open Educational Resources (CCCOER) defines OER as: "Educational materials that include permission for anyone to use, modify, and share at no cost".
Why is OER important? According to the National Course Materials Survey 2023, over half of students surveyed said the cost of course materials caused them to take fewer courses or not register for a specific course. According to this study, 7 out of 10 students worry about paying for course materials, with community college students being twice as likely as four year students to be concerned about textbook costs.