College students are spending less on materials because they’re accessing more free content online. 

College students are spending less on materials because they’re accessing more free content online. According to a student spending survey from the National Association of College Stores, “spending on textbooks and other course materials represents a 26 percent fall from the previous year, when students spent $456, or $53 per course.” A large part of this decline has to do with accessing free content. More instructors are providing their students with free materials (or free to them), and 73% of students “now report being assigned free or non-paid material.” This is likely thanks to a push for more “inclusive access models,” where colleges deliver all materials to students on their first day of class and then charge students as part of their tuition and fees. YPulse’s Back To School Shopping report data shows that students are spending more on tech than they are on textbooks. (EdSurge)