College on a Budget – Consider Berea, Another Tuition-free School
With college costs soaring, budget-conscious students owe it to themselves and their families to give careful consideration to one of the tuition-free college programs currently available.
Last week we featured Cooper Union in downtown Manhattan, an extremely selective school with a storied history. Today we head to Appalachia to look at another tuition-free option with an equally storied history, Berea College.
First Interracial School in the South
Founded in 1855 by the Reverend John Fee, Berea was the very first interracial and coed college in the South. Significantly ahead of its time, the school actually reverted to serving only white students when the Kentucky Legislature passed a law in 1904 prohibiting school integration.
The school, located in the town of Berea 35 miles south of Lexington, remained all-white until 1950 when the law was amended. At that time Berea immediately returned to its initial commitment and became the first school in Kentucky to again admit African-Americans.
A large endowment allows the school to provide every student a full-tuition scholarship currently valued at $23,000 per year. As with most tuition free colleges, students are responsible for room and board, fees and miscellaneous expenses estimated at $7,500 per year. Those fees include a technology fee related to the school’s one-to-one computing laptop initiative.
Admitted students must demonstrate two key characteristics: the ability to meet high academic standards and have limited economic resources. The largest percentage of students are from Appalachia (73%) but those currently attending Berea, some 1500 plus students in total, come from 40 states and more than 60 countries. Approximately one third of the student body is from an ethnic minority.
Those who attend Berea are also required to work at least 10 hours a week in one of 130 distinct work areas. That requirement is designed to develop an appreciation for the dignity and utility of labor and to help students gain valuable job experience.
The immersion in a work-study program also enables each student to limit their need for borrowing to earn that coveted diploma. Traditionally, Berea graduates rank near the top nationally as being among the least-indebted students in America.
Liberal Arts Focus
The school’s web site notes that the core of Berea’s general studies program “is required of all students, is distinctly liberal arts in nature, and that the liberal arts pervade the design of the College’s pedagogy and curriculum.”
Often ranked as one of the South’s finest regional liberal arts colleges, the school offers undergraduate academic programs leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 28 fields including 14 teacher education programs.
The school also is known for its Christian character. It is a philosophy that hearkens back to the school’s interracial roots and prominently features the college’s motto; “God has made of one blood all peoples of the Earth.”
Offering a nationally recognized service-learning program and internships/co-op options, Berea presents budget-conscious, financially-needy students a unique, well-rounded educational opportunity.
Flickr photos courtesy of Glenn E. Malone and Blueathena7.
