Among many variables associated with the chaos and stress of the pandemic, a lack of direct access to learning materials like textbooks has arisen as one of the major roadblocks to student learning in the era of COVID-19. This nation has continued to observe a sharp rise in textbook prices since 1977, which leaves many students enrolled at postsecondary institutions, public or independent, unable to afford the required learning materials for their courses. As a band-aid solution, students often rely on borrowing a copy of the book or material from a classmate or the campus library--options that became obsolete overnight when campuses closed and we entered this new world of social distancing and online learning and course delivery. When access barriers to learning materials like textbooks exist, either financial or circumstantial (as in the case of COVID-19), students' grades and academic trajectory suffer, and ultimately institutional retention can take a hit. Enter OER (Open Educational Resources). This article considers whether or not OER can be part of the solution and the current publishing industry's suppression of access to information.