Reasons to push for Free Software in your university

Free Software gives you choice. No matter which program or operating system you pick, your files will work fine, and your favourite programs will be available. There's no license fee to pay, and you can modify your software as you like.

Free Software improves your education

• Acquire displayable skills Nowadays, it is not enough to know how to use a certain office program. It's important to understand the concepts underlying a whole category or type of software not merely how to use a particular application. Instead of learning just one application, understand how to use a whole category of programs! You'll be able to quickly adapt to any IT environment, a key skill nowadays.
• Be independent If you are taught to rely on proprietary software, you will depend on something you'll have to pay for. If you learn to rely on Free Software, you can continue using this software in your adult life while helping others by sharing it.
• Learning in native language Free Software applications are being translated into almost any language. Thus, you can learn and focus on the actual subject without any language or cultural barriers.

Using Free Software is the logical economic decision

• Keep your university independent Universities should be centers of learning, not marketing channels for software. Free Software keeps their IT independent of any particular software vendor.
• Spend on brains, not licenses Money is always tight in education. Available funds should go towards teaching and building skills, rather than paying license fees for proprietary software.
• Be ecologically responsible Free Software doesn't require powerful hardware and runs on almost any computer. It can give new life to old computers, saving both money and the environment.

Contribute to a free society

• Solidarity Using Free Software allows you to cooperate with others and join a global community that shares knowledge.
• Liberty Free Software is about freedom, not price. With Free Software, you have the control over the software you use. You can use, study, share and improve it.
• Equality With Free Software, teachers can give a copy of a program to each student. Students with fewer financial resources have access to the same tools as their peers.