Quizlet, the online studying website that is known worldwide for being one of the best free and accessible tools for all students, has now as of spring of 2022 started charging consumers money for “Quizlet Plus.”

In December 2018, Quizlet first released Quizlet Plus, which has the same features as regular Quizlet but with premium content made by verified people who specialize in the study set’s topics. This new addition had little to no popularity since all of their features were still free, so many felt no need to spend money on the premium version of what they  already have.

However, in late spring of 2022, Quizlet removed the testing feature altogether on the free version, making it no longer possible for students to quiz themselves while studying unless they purchase Quizlet Plus. When asked about how this will affect their studies, senior Bryceson Lynn shares, “When I’m done with studying the flashcards, I like to go through the testing option to see how I’ll do on my test, but now I’ll be at a disadvantage because I wouldn’t be able to do that anymore.”

Being that two in every three high school students use Quizlet, many people searched for answers as to why they made such a drastic change. When AP English teacher Valerie Valentino was asked about what she believes the source of  the change was, she responded, “Quizlet is a business trying to make money.”

There are major controversies surrounding if this is an ethical business call, with some people believing this invalidates people’s right to a free education. Freshman Leonie Espedido discusses the ethics behind this and also expands on Lynn’s thoughts, “I think students should have an absolutely free education, so to take advantage of that is unfair because students still need to study for their tests. They shouldn’t be charging people because education should be free.”

Now that Quizlet has made this change, along with many other online studying tools moving towards more expensive approaches, many wonder how it will change people’s  methods of studying in the near future. Regarding potential alternatives to studying with  Quizlet, Lynn states people will “just find something else online.”

However, some think differently, including Espedido. She stated that, since so many online resources like quizlet are choosing to go a similar route, students “might turn to physical books  and resources to help them study.”

With Quizlet only recently making this change, only time will tell the result this will  create in respect to students’ academics.