Menu
Economies of Open: Affordability in higher education 

Economies of Open: Affordability in higher education 

eCampusOntario Open Library

The core rationale for open education has always been the mission of making education accessible to all – a possibility greatly expanded by and intertwined with technological advancements. In the mission to make education accessible to all, those working in the open education space have focused much effort on the creation of and infrastructure supports for “free to use”, openly licensed educational resources known as Open Educational Resources (OER): 

“Learning, teaching and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under copyright that have been released under an open license, that permit no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others.” (UNESCO) 

“Short History of OER” by Lillian Hogendoorn, used under CC BY 4.0 license.

And indeed, access to “free to use” OER has resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of student savings in Ontario alone (see Impact tracked by eCampusOntario since 2017). Yet, none of these resources are free of labour or costs to create, make discoverable, host, and keep updated. These costs of OER have typically been assumed by postsecondary institutions, non-profits, and professional associations with funding primarily from governments and foundations. Which surfaces the uncomfortable question in open education, as with all open movements, of how this work is sustained financially outside of sole reliance on external funding. The value of OER to students and the postsecondary education sector requires the continued existence and on-going maintenance of the technological and human infrastructures that support OER creation, use, and growth. 

Affording a Postsecondary Education 

The average cost of an undergraduate education in Canada is $7,360 per year with Ontario towards the higher end of range at $8,514 (Statistics Canada, Table 37-10-0045-01). Ontario colleges show a range of $2,400 to $5,000 per year depending on the type of program (OCAS, 2025). Indigenous institutions in Ontario are in a unique position with most Indigenous institutions partnering with Ontario colleges and universities to deliver diploma/certificate and degree programs respectively or otherwise offering singularly unique programs. Tuition fees at Indigenous institutions have a wide range due to this and are often set by or with partner colleges or universities and the average is within similar ranges.  Aside from the required fees for entry to a postsecondary institution, students and families must also budget for accommodations, utilities, food, communications, and transportation for their base cost of living. In Ontario, the average rent of a one-room apartment has increased 18% from $1,106 in 2021 to $1,310 in 2024 (CMHC, 2025). And the cost of living continues to increase in other areas of lifei. 

Alt text: The “Cost of Postsecondary Education – Undergraduate" chart compares the average tuition and compulsory fees for Canada and Ontario from 2020-21 to preliminary 2024-25 survey data collected by Statistics Canada. In 2020-21, the Canadian average was $6580 and compulsory fees at $928. The Ontario average was $7938 and compulsory fees at $953. In 2021-22, the Canadian average was $6660 and compulsory fees at $999. The Ontario average was $7850 and compulsory fees at $1037. In 2022-23, the Canadian average was $6871 and compulsory fees at $1044. The Ontario average was $7995 and compulsory fees at $1108. In 2023-24, the Canadian average was $7152 and compulsory fees at $1109. The Ontario average was $8271 and compulsory fees at $1182. In 2024-25, the Canadian average was $7360 and compulsory fees at $1159. The Ontario average was $8514 and compulsory fees at $1253.

Figure 1. Cost of Postsecondary Education at the Undergraduate level with comparison between Canadian average and Ontario average from 2020-21 to preliminary 2024-25 dataii.  

Aside from the necessary tuition and fees, there are additional costs associated with obtaining a postsecondary education. One additional cost is the costs for educational resources required to complete courses. These educational resources can include textbooks, course packages, and specialized software. The specific costs are often difficult to estimate as they can vary widely by area of study and level of education. For example, Brock University provides an estimate of $1,000 – $3,000, Queens University estimates $1,100 – $5,821, and OCAS estimates $1,300 for Ontario colleges. Efforts by institutions invested in improving affordability and a robust collection of OER present pathways to reduce these costs, which would impact the quality of life for some 940,722 students enrolled across 51 postsecondary institutions in Ontario alone (Statistics Canada, Table: 37-10-0277-01 for enrollment from most recent 2022 survey). As cost-of-living increases, there is a greater urgency for transparency around these educational resource costs and support for affordable alternatives where possible. 

Ontario has taken major steps to improve education affordability over the past four years. Through the Virtual Learning Strategy, the province invested $70 million dollars to grow Ontario postsecondary institutional capacity and resources for digital learning (learn more here). A major part of this work resulted in over 600 new OER created with a Canadian focus by project teams representing the entire Ontario publicly-assisted postsecondary sector. Additionally, support for French as second language has started bridging the resource gap between English and French OER available to the education sector. The province continues to support these goals through Bill 166 and the subsequent Minister’s directives that support cost transparency by requiring educational resource costs to be listed in the syllabus of a course or institution website ahead of the start of the course.  

The Educational Resource Marketplace 

In this larger financial context, there is a need to consider co-investment models for the ongoing maintenance and support of OER at all stages. eCampusOntario has explored partnerships that can impact affordable learning options and ensure ongoing promotion of equity and foster innovation in previous publications, as detailed in the report Affordable Learning, Lasting Impact: How OER and Partnerships Save Students Money. From partnerships with student groups, external organizations, and institutions, it is possible to utilize alternative financial models in support of low-cost educational resources for learners under the broader umbrella of affordability initiatives.  

The specific financial model used by an institution or instructor must be evaluated within their given context – the courses in which these affordable and/or open materials will be used. To do so, we must first consider each course as its own market with a set liquidity. In scenarios where learners of a given course are buying textbooks, we might see a situation where 100 students are each paying $100 for a textbook thus valuing the specific course at $10,000 in market value. Within this given market, an open or affordability initiative with a financial model including co-investment may, for example, propose the use and leverage of 20% of the total market value – a sum of $2000. These funds, through mechanisms and means identified and created by the co-investors, can be used to support the creation, use, and ongoing growth of a low-cost educational resource. The remaining 80% of the initial market can be understood as learner savings.  

In these evolving conversations, there is much to learn directly from how various Ontario postsecondary institutions are developing, maintaining, and supporting open education and improving affordability.  

Lessons from the Ontario Postsecondary Sector 

The interactive map below highlights a few of the many initiatives seen across Ontario’s postsecondary sector. This map is not exhaustive but is meant to illustrate the breadth of initiative types supporting OER and affordable learning across the province, as well as inspire other institutions to consider ways to implement their own initiatives.  

You can also discover more on evaluating your institution’s receptivity and current engagement with Open and affordable initiatives in On a Path to Open, which details key results on a study examining the capacity of Ontario’s post-secondary institutions to support Open. 

Where to find out more? 

As we navigate the future of affordability in higher education, the sustainability of OER and open education initiatives must remain at the forefront of our discussions. By fostering collaborative financial models, institutional support, and continued advocacy, we can ensure that open education remains a viable, impactful solution for making learning accessible to all. The commitment to affordability, equity, and innovation in education will define how institutions and learners thrive in an increasingly digital and interconnected world. 

eCampusOntario and our partners will be diving deeper into these questions throughout Open Education Week. Join the conversation at any of our Open Education Week events below: 

For Ontario postsecondary institutions, eCampusOntario offers foundational training on open education and digitally empowered education in English and French. 

Discover the full breadth of eCampusOntario’s professional development offerings here. 

About eCampusOntario 

eCampusOntario has been a champion of open education in Ontario since 2017 as part of our overall mission to advance digital participation in postsecondary education and supporting institutions and learners in participating in the future of learning and the future of work. 

References 

Brown, M. (2018, April 1). The cost of a Canadian university education in six charts. Macleans. https://macleans.ca/education/the-cost-of-a-canadian-university-education-in-six-charts/  

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2025). Housing Market Information Portal. https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmip-pimh/en#Profile/1/1/Canada  

Hogendoorn, L. (2020, July 1). Short history of OER. https://h5pstudio.ecampusontario.ca/content/4804  

OCAS. (2025). Paying for college: Tuition and financial assistance. https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/colleges/paying-for-college  

Statistics Canada. (2024, May 16). Canadians are facing higher levels of food insecurity. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/6257-canadians-are-facing-higher-levels-food-insecurity  

Statistics Canada. Table 37-10-0018-01  Postsecondary enrolments, by registration status, institution type, status of student in Canada and gender. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/3710001801-eng 

Statistics Canada. Table 37-10-0277-01 Postsecondary enrolments, by detailed field of study, institution, and program and student characteristics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/3710027701-eng  

Statistics Canada. Table 37-10-0045-01 Canadian and international tuition fees by level of study (current dollars). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/3710004501-eng 

Statistics Canada. Table 37-10-0046-01 Canadian students additional compulsory fees by level of study DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/3710004601-eng  

Wickham, E. (2025, January 31). After three cities in Ontario declare food insecurity an emergency, experts hope for more action from Doug Ford. PressProgress. https://pressprogress.ca/after-three-cities-in-ontario-declare-food-insecurity-an-emergency-experts-hope-for-more-action-from-doug-ford/  

24.02.2025 - 9 min. Read