Throughout the past decade, the average cost of tuition has been steadily increasing at 5.6% each year, according to College Board. College costs continue to outpace inflation rates, causing families to make tough calls when searching and choosing the best education experience. Sometimes it results in students having to sacrifice their first choice.
Other times, the decision is even more difficult, requiring students to wait a few years before continuing their education.
While this is a grim picture, there are instances of a silver lining. Take, for example, the 15 or so colleges in the country that offer free tuition. That’s right – students pay $0 for the education they deserve.
Most of these schools are able to offer free tuition because of the large endowment on hand. Others, get a little creative, requiring students to work 15 hours a week to sustain campus operations.
College of the Ozarks—Hollister, MO
The College of the Ozarks actually began as The School of Ozarks, founded by missionary, Reverend James Forsythe. He came to the Ozarks and saw a great need for an educational institution in the area and thus, established the School of the Ozarks. Over the years, the school evolved from a high school to a junior college to the four-year school it is today.
Rather than requiring students to pay for tuition, The College of the Ozarks asks students to work for it. Students at the school are required to work at least 15 hours a week, along with two 40-hour weeks when classes aren’t in session, contributing to the sustainability and functionality of campus operations.
Some quick facts about The College of the Ozarks…
- About 3,000 students apply each year
- Approximately 300 – 350 students are admitted each year
Costs students have to cover per year:
- Student fees: $420
- Room and board: $5,300
- Books and equipment: $800
*Tuition costs $16,900 a year – but all students receive scholarships and grants, regardless of need.
Berea College – Berea, KY
In a time when the country was warring over slavery, an anti-slavery school was founded in the South. The Reverend John G. Fee began what he hoped would be an educational institution for students, both black and white. Enrollment in 1886-87 consisted of 96 black students and 91 white students.
Berea College has continued the tradition of providing an education to anyone and everyone with its $0 tuition plan, especially reaching out to the Appalachian region in recent years. Much like the College of the Ozarks, students have to work for their education.
Some quick facts about Berea College…
- 1,496 undergraduates attend – 23% of which are minorities
- 60% of the incoming class come from families where neither parent has a college degree
- Students come from 44 different states and 58 countries, besides the U.S.
Costs students have to cover per year:
- Student fees: $876
- Room and board: $5,768
- Books and equipment: $2,552
*Full cost of tuition per student is $25,000 but that amount is offset by scholarships, grants and the college’s endowment.
Deep Springs College – Big Pine, CA
Deep Springs College is different from most schools for a variety of reasons. First, it’s only one of ten all-male institutions left in the U.S. Second, the liberal arts college only hosts students for two years – after which, they transfer to four-year colleges and universities like Harvard, University of Chicago and Yale. Third, the school itself is a ranch, where students are responsible for cattle herding, gardening and acres and acres of alfalfa fields.
Officially founded in 1917, Deep Springs College began in Telluride as an educational project of a gold-mining, newspaper-running, bank-operating entrepreneur, Lucien Lucius Nunn. His goal was simple: he wanted educated workers in his plants so he created an education system for them. After seven years of success, Nunn was forced out of his managerial position because he was more obsessed with education than work, and the school in Telluride was closed. This prompted him to start a school in Deep Springs Valley.
Some quick facts about Deep Springs College…
- Roughly 100 students apply to Deep Springs each year
- Only 11 – 15 are admitted
Costs students have to cover per year:
- Books, travel and incidentals: $2,800
*The cost of full tuition is $50,000, including room and board, and covered entirely by the school.
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering – Needham, MA
While most of the $0 tuition schools have a deep-rooted history, the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering was only recently opened in 2002. The school infuses engineering instruction with other subjects like business and entrepreneurship, arts, and humanities and sciences.
Founder, Franklin W. Olin, was able to earn admission to Cornell University through self-instruction. He later went on to establish the Olin Foundation, a Fortune 1000 Company. His success enabled him to establish the F.W. Olin Foundation, which contributed to building projects on multiple college campuses across the county as well as to the start of his school.
Some quick facts about Olin College of Engineering…
- Approximately 85 students will be chosen for the Class of 2015
- 567 students applied to be in the class of 2014 – 171 were admitted and 92 enrolled
- Students come from 23 different states and five different countries
Costs students have to cover per year:
- Room: $8,500
- Meal plan: $5,000
- Health insurance: $1,018
- Laptop purchase: $2,500 (billed in two installments)
- Student activity fee: $175
- General fee: $250
- Books and supplies: $750 (estimated)
- Travel and incidentals: $1,500 (estimated)
*CORRECTION: While the Franklin W. Olin School of Engineering is maintaining their full-tuition scholarship promise to current students, it will not be able to continue with the Class of 2015. Due to the ongoing economic struggle, the school has been forced to offer the Class of 2015 half-tuition scholarships, making the total cost of one year at Olin $38,693 (includes books, laptops, fees, etc.).
Saint Louis Christian College – Florissant, MO
Saint Louis Christian College seeks to educate students while building on Christian values. The school offers full-ride scholarships to students attending class full-time as well as living on campus full-time.
The college was started by three pastors in the St. Louis area in 1956. It began as a small school with 11 faculty members and 19 students. Since then, it has grown to an 11.5-acre campus with over 300 students.
Some quick facts about Saint Louis Christian College…
- Total enrollment is 319 students, according to stateuniversity.com
- In 2009, 78 students applied and 42 were admitted
Costs students have to cover per year:
- Student fees: $1,300
- Room and meal plan: $8,200
*Full tuition scholarships are available to full-time students living on campus only.
Macaulay Honors College at CUNY – New York, NY
Officially named William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the school provides a unique opportunity for exceptionally gifted students. Macaulay not only places a strong emphasis on the art, history and people of New York City but also in global learning, internship opportunities and technology. Students at Macaulay must enroll at one of the seven CUNY campuses in the NYC area, but Macaulay assists students in tailoring a specific academic program, creating a unique education experience for each student.
Chancellor Matthew Goldstein founded the Honors College, as it was originally named, in 2001. A generous donation from William and Linda Macaulay allowed the Honors College to purchase a landmark building in 2006. From that point forward, the school was named the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY.
Some quick facts about Macaulay Honors College
- Must be a first-time student to apply – they do not accept transfers
- Students can tailor their academic experience from over 200 majors in the CUNY curriculum
- 90% of Macaulay students study abroad
- For the Class of 2014, there were 4,072 applicants – 877 were accepted – 394 enrolled
Costs students have to cover per year:
- Responsible for student fees
- Some students may need to pay for housing but most receive support for room and board costs
*Students are awarded full-tuition scholarships upon enrollment. They also receive a laptop, $7,500 for study abroad opportunities and a cultural passport of NYC that allows entrance into art and cultural venues
regard,
Daniel Njoroge
Email:daniel@cedol.ac.ke
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