501(c)(3) public education nonprofit · est. 2023
Affordable Education Institute is a public education nonprofit. We create free, plain-language educational resources for the general public across various topics that benefit adults, families, independent learners, community organizations, and whoever has a thirst for knowledge!
AEI is not a school, college, university, or student services organization. See our public education scope →
Helps fund educational publishing and free public learning resources for the broader community.
What we believe
The information people need to live, work, and think well is too often scattered, jargon-heavy, or hidden behind a paywall. We don't think understanding how money, media, or new technology works should depend on who can afford it.
Affordable Education Institute exists to widen access to that everyday knowledge. We publish clear, trustworthy educational resources that any member of the public can use, so cost is never the reason someone is left out.
What we're building
Three new resource series are in active development. They're written for the general public and built so community partners can use them freely. If your organization would like early access, we'd love to hear from you.
Plain-language guides on paychecks, budgeting, credit, benefits, taxes, and insurance — for working adults who never got a personal-finance class.
Learn more →How to spot AI-generated content, tell real news from fake, understand your feed, and navigate health, financial, and civic misinformation.
Learn more →A plain-English series that helps everyday adults understand what AI is, use practical tools safely, and think critically about AI-generated content.
Learn more →Available now
Free educational explainers covering economics, financial literacy, and foundational concepts for the general public! Read anytime, no sign-up.
Visit the library →Our founding publication. A plain-spoken guide to introductory economics for independent learners aligned with the CLEP proficiency examination. A revised second edition is on the way.
See the series →Why give
We're early and volunteer-run. Every gift helps us publish more public education resources and keep them free for everyone.
No salaries, no overhead games. Today we're funding the lights themselves.
The resources we publish are meant to widen access, not create another gate around learning.
Our resources serve the broader public — adults, families, independent learners, and community organizations.
Our story
In 2023, on a farmstead in Hawaii, our founder set out to write a single economics book to make rigorous learning more reachable for people who needed a lower-cost path.
That belief grew into something larger: a public education nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to knowledge for the general public.