Textbooks can cost over a hundred dollars a class. Many students are desperate to find ways to save - that's why some for-profit companies are offering free texts for popular classes. Students agree to put up with advertising in their course materials in return for paying nothing. An About.com blog post explains:

"Downloadable textbooks can save students thousands over the course of their education. As more professors decide to publish their textbooks for free, students will get to choose between the electronic and the paper version of the required texts. Hopefully, traditional publishers will see the increased interest in free books and will lower their prices to be competitive."

To learn about the pros and cons of free textbooks and for links to free texts, see: Free Downloadable Textbooks for College Students .